Overview
- Pakistan’s Hajj airlift, which began Saturday with departures from Karachi and Lahore under the Route to Makkah pre-clearance, recorded its first Pakistani arrival in Madinah the same day.
- PIA starts its Pre‑Hajj Operation on Sunday, running through May 21 with 191 flights to move more than 55,000 pilgrims from seven cities to Madinah and Jeddah.
- India’s plan for 1,75,025 pilgrims is underway as Srinagar sent its first groups Saturday and the first Indian batch reached Saudi Arabia, with 17 embarkation points and embassy teams ready to receive travelers.
- Indonesia keeps departures on track with a 221,000 quota, starting the first wave to Madinah on April 22 and a second to Jeddah on May 7, while enforcing safety steps, policing fraud, and offsetting higher fuel-driven fares through its Hajj fund.
- Lahore joins Islamabad and Karachi in the Saudi ‘Route to Makkah’ program that completes Saudi and Pakistani immigration before takeoff, sends checked bags straight to lodging, assigns coordinators for every 188 pilgrims, and follows completed vaccination checks.