Flights for Hajj this yearare expected to start from August 27 and continue until September 28, while return flights are scheduled to run between October 8 and November 8.
The tentative dates for Hajj flights were fixed at a meeting held at the civil aviation ministry yesterday to discuss preparations for the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, said Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon.
A total of 125 flights will be operated to carry about 101,758 Hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh this year, Menon said. The meeting also decided to form a special taskforce, headed by Joint Secretary Joinal Abedin Talukdar, to ensure smooth travel arrangements for the pilgrims.
Under the two Hajj packages offered by the government, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines will each carry half the number of pilgrims.
Biman will add its four new aircrafts to the Hajj fleet, instead of hiring planes like in previous years.
The minister said a “city check-in”arrangement will also be made so that the airlines authorities can receive luggage from the pilgrims at different points across the capital for convenience.
