LONDON – Emirates Airlines, the flag carrier of the UAE is extending its hands to the wider Muslim or ‘Umrah’ community by adding extra Hajj flights.
It was announced on the 22nd June 2022 that Emirates airlines will operate extra flights due to the overwhelming demand for the annual pilgrimage flight.
The airline wants to ensure Hajj-goers will have better options in connecting from their respective destinations to Medina and Jeddah via its giant hub in Dubai. The increase in capacity will be both beneficial for Emirates and pilgrimage attendees.
Additional Flights
The airline will launch 31 additional flights to Jeddah and will fly to Medina on a double daily basis from 23rd June to 20th of July to cope with the surge in demand in travellers going to perform Hajj rituals in Islam’s holiest city of Makkah. The Hajj express service will run alongside Emirates scheduled service to both Jeddah and Medina.
Saudi Arabia for the past 2 years hosted a muted Hajj, meaning traveller numbers were capped in light of the pandemic. 2022 is the first in 2 years for hajj-goers to truly enjoy the experience once again. The Saudi government has agreed to lift the capacity for this year’s Hajj to nearly a million visitors.
This is a boon for many countries with many Muslim majority countries or those with large Muslim communities. The airline sees huge demands from countries like Algeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malaysia, the UK, USA, UAE and.
Who can travel?
Not everyone can travel on the Hajj flights provided by Emirates. All Hajj visitors must arm themselves with a visa solely for going to Hajj. Tourists and travellers with other purposes may not board the Hajj flights.
All pilgrims will be treated with the world-class Emirates Airlines service, and will not be disappointed by the service provided by the flag carrier of the UAE. To ensure this, the airline has created a special or a dedicated Hajj team, to perform all ground duties. This includes managing check-in, coordinating connecting prices and customer service.
Emirates’ dedicated team will be present in Dubai and also at 2 Saudi Arabian airports. This is to ensure all Emirates pilgrims will be taken good care of and to ensure a seamless process from check-in to the arrivals process.
The airline will also provide necessary items as part of the Hajj cleansing rituals, such as unperfumed towels, advising passengers to Al Miqat zones after disembarkation, and providing spaces to change robes.
Emirates is once again, doing its best in elevating the passenger’s experience which expands beyond normal scheduled services to Hajj flights. The relaxation of covid-19 travel restrictions means this will be the busiest Hajj flight in 2 years for the airline.
