Emirates supports Haji travel

DUBAI, UAE Emirates will slot in extra flights to Jeddah to support thousands of pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

Emirates will offer 45 additional flights to Jeddah and 12 additional flights to Medina effective  17 August until 11 September to help serve the 2 million pilgrims expected to travel to the Holy City of Mecca during Hajj this year.

These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ scheduled services to Jeddah. The airline will also be operating a A380 to Medina, which will also support the increased demand during this period.

The additional services are available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa.

Emirates has identified the top inbound supply markets for this year’s  Hajj flights. They are: Yangon; Manchester (UK); Mauritius; Jakarta; Karachi; Lagos and Nairobi.

Emirates vice resident, commercial operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran, Adil Al Ghaith Senior said: “Travelling for Hajj is a unique experience for Muslims worldwide, and we expect over 20,000 pilgrims to travel with us this year.”

On the ground, Emirates has appointed a dedicated teams of airport staff to facilitate the passenger ground experience for Hajj. In addition, dedicated check-in counters have been set up for Hajj passengers in Dubai.

In the air, several initiatives have been planned in keeping with the values and traditions that pilgrims uphold when travelling for Hajj.

Extra provisions will be made to accommodate Hajj traveller needs such as performing ablutions, advising passengers about Al Miqat and Ihram (the phase when pilgrims enter a state of sanctity) and other arrangements that will help ease their journey.

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