To accommodate the growing demand for air travel, Emirates will operate additional flights during Hajj 2022.
Emirates announced in a statement that from June 23 to July 20, 2022, it will operate 31 extra flights to Jeddah and twice-daily flights to Medina to assist in the transportation of pilgrims to Mecca. The usual scheduled services of Emirates will continue with these services.
Over 2.5 million pilgrims participated in the Hajj in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just 1,000 pilgrims were permitted into Mecca in 2020. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) set an attendance cap of 60,000 for 2021.
From Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malaysia, the UK, US, UAE, and Algeria, according to Emirates, there has been a significant demand for Hajj travel this year.
Emirates is aiming to make the pilgrims’ trip to Mecca as convenient as possible in addition to boosting the number of flights during Hajj.
For instance, Emirates offers a dedicated airport team for the Hajj pilgrimage to assist with check-in, transfers, and a convenient ground experience. Additionally, Emirates has established specific check-in and transfer desks for Hajj pilgrims passing through Dubai.
Dedicated teams are available to guide groups and assist them with all of their arrival arrangements for Hajj pilgrims who have a lengthier layover in Dubai before continuing on to Jeddah or Medina.
Emirates said that additional amenities include IFE channels for religion and unperfumed hand towels. Up to 5 liters of holy water, which will be stored in designated places in the cargo hold, may also be checked in by passengers.
The KSA has set the attendance goal for the Hajj pilgrimage this year at 1 million.
