Hajj flights schedule likely on October 8: Vakil Ahmed

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Hajj flights schedule likely on October 8: Vakil Ahmed

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 (APP): Secretary Religious Affairs, Vakil Ahmed Khan Tuesday expressed the hope that schedule of Hajj flights would be announced on Oct 8 or 10.

Speaking in PTV programme,"News Morning," he said information regarding the flights' schedule would also be dispatched to every pilgrim soon after the announcement.

He added PIA and Saudi Airline will airlift pilgrims from designated Airports of the country. Allocation of seats to pilgrims will be made through computer.

Like the previous Hajj season, he said, at first about 25,000 pilgrims would be airlifted to Madina.

To a question he said 86,196 lucky applicant pilgrims have been selected through balloting under the government scheme to perform Hajj during current year.

He added that about 3,152 applicants, who were not selected for Hajj in 2004 and 2005 have also been selected without balloting.

About 500 lucky pilgrims will perform Hajj under labour quota, he said. About 150 pilgrims would perform Hajj against the quota of Hajj Foundation, he added. The secretary said about 138,656 applications were received under government scheme for white and green residential categories.

To a question he said about 60,000 pilgrims would perform Hajj through private tour operators.

He further added that about 868 applications were received from private tour operators. However, he said only 314 were selected for this honorable responsibility.

Vakil Ahmed Khan said, ministry will take action against private tour operators if they failed to act according to their packages.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
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Post by Abbas Ali »

Senate body directs PIA to revise fares ahead of Hajj season

ISLAMABAD:
Senate Standing Committee for Defence and Defence Production directed the board of directors of PIA to review its decision on raise in fares ahead of Hajj season. The committee met here on Friday under its Chairman Senator Nisar A. Memon in parliament house and reviewed matters of PIA. The members of committee took serious notice of increase in fares ahead of Hajj and Umrah by PIA. Chairman PIA Tariq Kirmani told the committee that it had become inevitable for them to raise the fares prior to Hajj season. If PIA did not do so it would have to suffer a loss to the tune of Rs. 800 million in Hajj season. However, the committee directed the PIA board to review the decision and revise the fares downward.

Source: The News
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Post by Abbas Ali »

Flight schedule finalised for Hajj pilgrims

ISLAMABAD, Oct 21 (APP):
Ministry of Religious Affairs Friday finalised the flight schedule of intending pilgrims

who are going to perform Hajj through private group organizers.

The duration of Hajj under the Government Scheme is around 40 days and those who are to perform Hajj through the Private Group Organizers, with duration of 40 days, has been considered in the schedule, said apress here.

All out efforts have been made to accommodate requests of the Group Organizers for particular date of flight.

However, because of limitations of seats some of these requests could not be fully accommodated.

Last year total group of Hajj Organizer was scattered over a number of days, but this has been eliminated this year and total groups of Organizers have been accommodated on a single day or in case of bigger group maximum two days.

Flight schedule has been issued to all concerned Directorates of Hajj in Pakistan as well as Directorate General of Hajj, Jeddah for onward information to the respective Hajj Group Organizers.

The first fight from Pakistan would leave from Islamabad on December 3, 2005 and last flight would leave on January 4, 2005 from Islamabad. In all, there would be 476 flights.

Through these flights a total number of pilgrims both Private Hajj Group Organizers and Government Scheme would be 136,17,6.

Upto 13,824 intending pilgrims are those who are going through the Group Organizers for short duration and would as per their arrangement travel by scheduled flights of PIA and Saudi Airlines.

This year Saudi Airlines is carrying 10,000 pilgrims of Government Scheme. In all around 25,974 pilgrims would straight go to Madinah Munawwarah.

The Hajj Schedule announced by the Minister has been finalised in association with PIA and Saudi Airlines.

No request for any change from any Group Organizer would be entertained as it is not possible to tinkle with the structure of the schedule.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
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Post by Abbas Ali »

First Hajj flight from Lahore on December 5

LAHORE: The first Haj flight carrying 456 intending pilgrims from city will leave for Medina on December 05 next and the flights operation will continue till January 4, 2006.

Director Haj, (Lahore-Faisalabad), Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zakat and Ushr, Farooj Aftab told APP here Saturday that a total of 49,708 intending pilgrims from Lahore, 4500 from Faisalabad and 8,000 from Multan will be airlifted to Medina and Jeddah.

He said first time, PIA flight will land at Madina for Haj purpose which he added, is landmark achievements on the part of Pakistani government.

He said a total of 87 haj flights will operate from city which includes nine by Saudi Airlines of which 24 will land at Madina while remaining at Jeddah, but all fights after Haj will return to Pakistan from Jeddah with effect from January 14 next.

Farooj said that travelling, lodging, medical, immigration and security arrangements were reviewed today at a high level meeting held at Awan-i-Iqbal. He said narcotics and customs officials informed the meeting that ban on taking edibles, medicines, CDs and video cassettes alongwith intending pilgrims will remain intact.

About foreign exchange, he said that intending pilgrims will be issued foreign exchange as per policy of the government. He said that all intending pilgrims will be vaccinated properly while temporary medical dispensary will work round the clock at Haji camp.

Director said that intending pilgrims will be provided a set of Ahram while females will be given coat. Regarding training, he said that training will start at different districts and tehsil.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
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Post by Abbas Ali »

First Hajj flight to leave from Sukkur on Dec. 31

SUKKUR, Nov. 22 (APP):
The first Hajj flight carrying 100 intending pilgrims will depart from Sukkur airport to Jeddah via Karachi on December 31 at 6.15 pm.

This was stated by the DCO Sukkur, Shafique Ahmed Khoso while presiding over a meeting to finalise Hajj flight arrangements at his office Tuesday.

He said that as many as 451 intending pilgrims will depart from Sukkur airport by 4 flights and the process would continue up to January 03, 2006.

He further said that Zila Nazim, Sukkur, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah would see off the inaugural Hajj flight from Sukkur whereas the post Hajj flight operation, which would start from February 10, 2006 would be completed by February 14, 2006.

DCO asked concerned officers to ensure provision of better facilities to the pilgrims so that the Hujjaj did not face any inconvenience during the flights operation.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
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Post by Abbas Ali »

First Hajj flight from Federal Capital on December 3

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP):
The pre-Hajj operation to airlift 140,000 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will start with the departure of first Hajj flight PK-1601 carrying 456 passengers on-board to Jeddah from the Federal Capital on December 3.

The operation will continue for a month in which 140,000 intending pilgrims will be airlifted to the Holy Land by 463 special Hajj flights.

The flights will also be operated from airports of Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Sukkur and Faisalabad.

The pilgrims from Sukkur will reach Jeddah via Karachi while Hajj flights from Multan and Faisalabad airports will depart to Jeddah via Lahore.

Secretary Religious Affairs, Vakil Ahmed Khan giving the details of first Hajj flights from other cities told APP here on Friday that the first Hajj flight PK-1801 carrying 213 pilgrims will leave Peshawar on December 4.

The first Hajj flight PK-1401 carrying 456 intending pilgrims will depart from Lahore to the Holy land on December 5 while first Hajj flight PK-1101 with 272 passengers on-board will leave from Karachi on the same day.

He informed that first Hajj flight PK-2001 carrying 213 intending pilgrims will also take off from Quetta to Saudi Arabia on December 5.

About Hajj flights from Multan, Faisalabad and Sukkur airports, he said these flights will depart to Jeddah via Lahore and Karachi respectively.

The first Hajj flight PK-2101 carrying 115 pilgrims, PK-2401 carrying 118 pilgrims and PK-2201 carrying 115 pilgrims will leave for Jeddah on December 5, December 31 and December 4 respectively.

The Secretary informed that 140,000 intending pilgrims will perform Haj-2006 from Pakistan of them, 90,000 will be sent under government scheme while remaining 50,000 will be brought to Saudi Arabia by the private Hajj organizers.

He said that buildings to accommodate 90,000 pilgrims who applied under government scheme have been arranged in Makkah and Madina.

As many as 46,000 intending pilgrims have opted for green category accommodation while 44,000 will avail white category.

About other arrangements, he said selection of 250 Khudam-ul-Hajaj, 250 Seasonal Staff and 230 member Medical Mission has already been made.

The first batch of 80-member seasonal staff will be sent before arrival of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and they will be deployed at Jedda Airport, Makkah and Madina, he added.

Vakil Ahmed Khan said that 150,000 doses of meningitis have been imported for vaccination of pilgrims.

"We have also a stock of 25,000 doses of this vaccine at National Institute of Health (NIH) which will also be used," he added.

To a question about missing intending pilgrims from earthquake areas, he said so far 468 out of 1702 intending pilgrims have been approached the Ministry and they would perform Hajj this year.

While efforts are being carried out to search remaining pilgrims for which Federal Relief Commissioner and banks have been requested to help in this regard.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
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Post by Abbas Ali »

75 Haj flights from Peshawar this year

PESHAWAR:
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start its Haj flight operation from Peshawar on December 4 and run 75 flights to Jeddah carrying a total of 26,310 pilgrims.

A PIA official said here yesterday that the first flight, carrying 270 pilgrims, would depart for Jeddah on December 4. The official said that there would be two to three flights per day and the last flight will leave on January 4.

"PIA will carry a total of 19,710 pilgrims from North West Frontier Province, going to the holy land on the regular scheme, and 6,600 pilgrims going there through tour operators," the official said.

Only the PIA will operate Haj flights from Peshawar, said the official.

The NWFP chief minister will see off the pilgrims onboard the first flight at the Peshawar International Airport on December 4.

The PIA will provide each pilgrim an Ehraam or Abaya and a booklet containing information about the Haj, free of cost. The official said that the airlines had decided not to give Aab-e-Zam Zam without any charges to the pilgrims this time. The return flight operation will begin on January 14 and will end on February 13. Seventy-five flights will bring back the Hajis.

A meeting of various civic organisations and agencies that are related to the Haj operation took place yesterday at the Haj Complex located at Hayatabad in Peshawar.

Source: Gulf Times
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Post by Amaad Lone »

The first flight from Peshawar is carrying 270 passengers.

That is not an Air Universal 747-200, instead sounds like an A300 to me.

An idea if PIA has re-inducted the A300s for Hadj, or is it leased equipment??

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Post by cheetah »

I am not sure, but the last i heard flyair A300s were to fly the PIA Hajj.
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Post by PK777 »

4784 Hajj pilgrims to be airlifted from Faisalabad

FAISALABAD (December 01 2005): Federal Minister for Textile Industry, Chaudhry Mushtaq Ali Cheema, will see off the first group of intending Hajj pilgrims on December 4, 2005 at 6-00 pm, at Faisalabad Airport. The Minister said that the pia would airlift 4784 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from Faisalabad Airport through 26 flights.

He said that the last flight from Faisalabad would depart on December 29, 2005, in the evening. The intending pilgrims hailing from Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Chakwal and Hafizabad districts.

He said that the Haji camp established on Sargodha Road here would start functioning from December 1,2005 where the intending Hajj pilgrims would be provided residence, food and transport with courtesy of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association and the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said that the district /traffic police had been directed to make appropriate security and traffic arrangements for the intending pilgrims.

Chairman Pakistan Dry Ports Association and Faisalabad Dry Port Trust, Shahzad Ali Siddiqi, former Sr Vice Chairman FDPT, Syed Faheem Mehmood Shah and newly elected Chairman, Faisalabad Dry Port Trust (for 2006 & 2007) Chaudhry Muhammad Siddique, have hailed the efforts of Textile Minister, Chaudhry Mushtaq Ali Cheema, to arrange boarding and lodging facilities for the pilgrims at Faisalabad Haji Camp.


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Post by F.K »

i havent heard that the 300s have been reinducted..even if they were pia has a shortage of pilots since they ve all been reassigned to other aircraft..in any case without the b4 fleet pia can simply not carry out a sucsessful hajj operation, which is why it has leased so many planes to do the job. not one flight is being operated by the 747 this time,though i think the 310 will be flying which is ridiculous. who would fly a 200 seater where the bulk of passengers need to be flown every second hour, cus the cost of landing and operation are sure to soar. even during the previous years the 747s would merely supplement the b4s that would be the actual workhorses of the fleet being utilized more heavily then any of pias other aircraft... the best bet would have been leased 330s or 747s which are being brought in this time around..in the absence of ayw and bcl the need is only further played up..how many aircraft have been leased so far..?
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Post by Amaad Lone »

Last year a number of F.27 captains were moved to the A300s for the Hadj flights, only to later return to the fokkers.

Those pilots could have been used to fly atleast a couple of the airbuses parked in Karachi for eight months now.

So a few fokkers would have been grounded, big deal.

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Post by cheetah »

According to the Hajj schedule. No B4 is involved in the operation.
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Post by Amaad Lone »

Then which aircraft is carrying 270 passengers from the Peshawar to Jeddah on the first Hadj flight??

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Post by Abbas Ali »

Today from Lahore, first Hajj flight to Medina was flown by Boeing 747-230B (registration JY-AUB) leased from Air Universal.

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