Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate this year’s Hajj flights, which will likely start on May 31.
Matiul Islam, additional secretary of the religious affairs ministry, was speaking to Dhaka Tribune after a meeting with Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to the prime minister, on Tuesday.
Dr Kaikaus was informed about the initiatives taken for this year’s Hajj.
He also talked with the Biman chief about the Hajj flight schedule. Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal said the national flag carrier would operate Hajj flights with its own aircraft this time around.
This year a total of 57,856 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be permitted to take part in Hajj. Of them, 31,000 will fly Biman and the rest will fly Saudia and Flynas, subject to getting permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Airlines yet to apply for operating Hajj flights
CAAB FSR Division Director (Air Transport) AKM Faizul Haque said no airline, including Biman, had yet applied to operate Hajj flights this year.
A top official of Saudia told Dhaka Tribune that the airline had submitted its flight schedule to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and would send it to CAAB once it was approved.
Biman is still working on its flight schedule, while Flynas has received permission from GACA but has yet to apply for permission from CAAB.
