CAIRO: EgyptAir is to operate about 490 flights to Jeddah and Madina Munawara starting from Aug. 30, launching the major pilgrimage season, said EgyptAir CEO Sameh al-Hefny in a press conference, Youm7 reported Wednesday.
He added that the first flights will leave from Cairo Airport on Aug. 31 and Borg el-Arab Airport in Alexandria on Aug. 30; other flights will be launched on Sep. 13, 15 and 16 from Aswan, Sohag and Hurghada Airports, respectively.
Chairman of EgyptAir Company Hesham al-Nahas said that the ticket for the lot-chosen pilgrims is 5,740 EGP ($733,) alike to Jeddah or Madina, while the civil associations pilgrims’ ticket is of 5,840 EGP ($746) to Jeddah and 5,950 EGP ($760) to Madina. Adding, the tourism pilgrims’ ticket starts from 5,900 EGP ($754) to Jeddah and 6,250 ($798.5) to Madina.
Around 70,000 Egyptian pilgrims are traveling to Mecca to perform the ritual; 19,000 are lot-chosen, a government procedure that offers the cheapest means to go for pilgrimage, 10,000 are supported by the Ministry of Social Solidarity and 40,000 are travelling via tourism companies.
The number of Egyptian pilgrims decreased this year, as requested by the Saudi government, citing development projects carried out in Mecca.
Meanwhile, citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will have to seek a permit before going for pilgrimage. Any GCC national who fails to produce a permit will not be allowed into the holy areas where the pilgrimage is performed, reported Makkah Newspaper Tuesday.
Before that, GCC citizens were able to travel to Mecca in indefinite numbers to perform the ritual without prior notice.
Pilgrimage to Mecca is one of Islam’s five pillars, and is obligatory for Muslims who can afford the trip financially and physically.