Emirates airline will be expanding services to Jeddah and Medina to give more flight options to hajj pilgrims heading to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. An additional 46 flights will be made available from 27 July to 22 August from the top inbound destinations: Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, the UK and the USA.
Worshippers at Mecca’s Grand Mosque. Photo by BANDAR ALDANDANI/ AFP/Getty Images
In a press release, the airline’s Senior VP for the Middle East region, Adil Al Ghaith, outlined Emirates’ aim “to help facilitate seamless travel for our hajj passengers as they converge on the Holy City of Mecca for this once in a lifetime journey.”
Muslim worshippers gather around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi city of Mecca. Photo by: AFP/Getty Images
This includes services both on the ground and in the air. In Dubai, a dedicated team has been lined up to help ensure a smooth flow of hajj travellers as they transit through the airline’s hub airport. During flights, Emirates is keen to help uphold the values and traditions of pilgrims through accommodating cleansing rituals, and providing extra blankets and towels. Special onboard announcements will be made ahead of entry into miqat zones (boundaries of the pilgrimage) to help passengers prepare for ihram (a sacred state a Muslim must enter to perform the pilgrimage). The airline has a Holy Quran channel, and will additionally be running a special feature regarding Hajj formalities and safety. Pilgrims returning on flights from Jeddah will be able to bring up to 5L of holy water, which will be placed in a dedicated part of the cargo hold.
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