Emirates Will Run More Flights During the Upcoming Hajj Season
Saturday 25th of June 2022
Due to the high demand for air travel during the Hajj season, Emirates is adding extra flights to provide more connectivity for the large number of pilgrims traveling to Makkah. During the upcoming Hajj season, Emirates will run special flights to Jeddah and Medina to transport pilgrims during this auspicious time.
From 23 June to 20 July, Emirates will operate 31 extra flights to Jeddah and twice daily flights to Medina to assist with the transportation of pilgrims in order to uphold one of the central tenets of Islam. The regular scheduled services of Emirates will coexist with these services.
This year, nearly a million pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be performing the Hajj. This year, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malaysia, the UK, US, UAE, and Algeria have all experienced high demand for Hajj travel.
Travelers with an active Hajj visa are eligible for the special services. Additionally, pilgrims must be under 65, possess a current vaccination record for a vaccine approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health, and have a negative PCR test result obtained within 72 hours of departure.
The airline's teams have been working hard to make sure that every aspect of the pilgrim's experience is in line with the teachings of their faith, given the significance of the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj experience.
Emirates has a dedicated Hajj airport team in Dubai to help with check-in, transfers, and making the pilgrims' time on the ground as easy and convenient as possible. Additionally, Emirates has established specific check-in and transfer counters for Hajj pilgrims passing through Dubai.
Dedicated teams are available to escort those groups and assist them with all of their arrival formalities for Hajj pilgrims who have a longer layover in Dubai before continuing on to Jeddah or Medina.
A number of initiatives that are in keeping with the principles and customs of the Hajj journey have been planned to begin as soon as pilgrims board the aircraft.
To ease their journey and prepare them for the remainder of their pilgrimage, additional arrangements have been made to accommodate Hajj pilgrims' needs. These include ablution cleansing rituals, unscented towels, notification of passengers while en route to Jeddah when they have entered Al Miqat zones (state of sanctity), changing of Ihram robes through special PAs, and other arrangements. A special Hajj video covering safety, general protocol, and details on performing the Hajj pilgrimage will also be available on Emirates' award-winning ice system. Along with other religious programming, pilgrims will also have access to the Holy Quran channel.
Furthermore, up to 5 liters of holy water (Zamzam) can be checked in for flights departing from Jeddah; these items will be stored in designated areas in the cargo hold.