The inaugural Haj flight this year from Kerala is set to take off from the Calicut international airport, Karipur, at 12.05 a.m. on May 21. It is scheduled to reach Jeddah at 3.50 a.m. The State-level Haj camp will begin at Haj House at Karipur on May 20 afternoon.
As many as 166 pilgrims will fly from Karipur to Jeddah on the inaugural flight of Air India Express IX 3011. Air India Express will operate two more flights – at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. – on May 21.
Two more embarkation points
Apart from Karipur, Kerala has two more embarkation points for Haj – Kannur and Kochi. The first flight from the Cochin international airport, Nedumbassery, will be on May 26. The flights from Kannur will begin on June 1.
Addressing a meeting of Haj officials at Karipur on May 14 (Tuesday), Haj Committee chairman C. Mohammed Faizy said that Kerala would be sending the highest number of pilgrims for Haj this year (2024) under the government supervision.
While 10,430 pilgrims are flying from Karipur, 4,273 are flying from Kochi and 3,135 from Kannur. As many as 45 pilgrims under the State Haj Committee banner are flying from Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai airports.
When Air India Express is carrying the pilgrims from Karipur, Saudi Arabian Airlines is operating from Kochi and Kannur. Air India Express has scheduled 59 flights, each of which can carry 166 pilgrims from Karipur.
The Haj services to Jeddah will continue till June 9.
Haj Committee officials said additional schedules might be arranged for those on the waiting list. The return of the pilgrims will begin on July 1 from Medina.
Elaborate arrangements are being made at Haj House at Karipur to receive the pilgrims. Mr. Faizy said sufficient arrangements have been made at the airport for the pilgrims.
More counters will be opened to speed up the process of emigration. Pilgrims will have to reach the airport first and hand over the check-in luggage at the Air India Express counter before proceeding to Haj House.
Malappuram District Collector V.R. Vinod, who is the State Haj Committee executive officer, presided over the meeting. Officials of the Airport Authority of India, Emigration, Customs, Central Industrial Security Force, Air India Express, Health and Police Departments, Fire and Rescue Services, Railways, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, Regional Transport Authority, Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala Water Authority, Information and Public Relations Department, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Public Works Department, and Civil Supplies took part in the meeting.
State Minorities Welfare secretary Mini Antony, and representatives of Kannur and Ernakulam district administrations joined the meeting online.
Haj Committee members P.T.A. Raheem, MLA; P. Moideenkutty, Ummer Faizy Mukkam, I.P. Abdussalam, K.P. Sulaiman Haji, Mohammed Kasim Koya, P.P. Mohammed Rafi, P.T. Akbar, Haj Cell special officer U. Abdul Kareem, and assistant secretary N. Mohammedali were among those who attended.
