ISLAMABAD: Emotions ran high in the departure lounge of King Abdulaziz International Airport on Thursday as Pakistan launched its post-Hajj 2024 flight operation.
The farewell Tawaf at the Grand Mosque in Makkah marked the end of the five-day communion with Allah Almighty at the holy sites of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah from Zilhajj 8-12.
This year, around 160,000 Pakistanis performed the religious obligation under both government and private Hajj schemes.
On the first day of the month-long post-Hajj flight operation, 1,723 Hajj pilgrims were scheduled to leave Makkah for various destinations in Pakistan, including Multan and Lahore.
The first flight, PF-723, departed for Multan from Jeddah airport at 05:35 Saudi Arabia Standard Time (SAST) carrying 150 passengers. The second flight, PA-471, left for Lahore at 06:55 SAST with 190 pilgrims on board. The third flight, PA-273, departed for Islamabad at 07:55 SAST with 200 passengers, while the fourth flight, PA-173, left for Karachi at 08:15 SAST with 180 Hujjaj. The fifth flight, PA-873, headed to Multan at 08:30 SAST with 180 passengers, and the sixth flight, PF-719, left for Islamabad at 10:50 SAST carrying 150 Hajj pilgrims.
Additionally, the seventh flight, PF-721 bound for Lahore, was scheduled to take off from Jeddah airport at 11:45 SAST, carrying 150 pilgrims. The eighth flight, PF-715, left for Karachi at 18:20 SAST with 151 passengers on board. The ninth and last flight of the day, PK-842, departed for Islamabad at 20:50 SAST with 372 Hujjaj on board.
