16 Hajj Flights from Bangalore

The chartered Hajj flights will commence flying out of Bangalore to Jeddah from October 2 and will ferry the pilgrims till October 12. A total of eleven flights will ferry the pilgrims from Bangalore while another five flights will fly from Mangalore between September
28 and October 2. While flights emanating from Bangalore will carry 423 pilgrims each day, the Mangalore flights will carry 220 pilgrims. The schedule was announced by newly appointed State Haj Committee Chairman Mr. M. M. Ahmed on September 12. In return direction, the flights will fly away from Jeddah between November 16 and November 26 for Bangalore and between November 12 and November 16 for Mangalore. According to the Central Haj Committee, negotiations are on to allow Indian pilgrims to use the new rail facility on Mashair Railways that connects various points of Hajj pilgrimage. It hopes that the Saudi Hajj authorities will permit the pilgrims from other countries to use the facility this year. It is also indicated that the State Bank of India will issue Vishwa Yatra Foreign Travel Card to Hajj pilgrims to be used in Saudi Arabia in terms of Saudi Riyals. It can be used as any other ATM card in the holy places. The Bank authorities said they have fully secured the operations of these prepaid cards to avoid any misuse. The Saudi Hajj Ministry has warned the pilgrims against making payment to private agents for sacrifice of animals. They have requested pilgrims to buy the coupons from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) against the fixed amount which makes elaborate arrangements to make the safe disposal of the waste and packing and dispatching of the meat to poor  countries of Asia and Africa. Such coupons, they said, could be bought from any Al-Rajhi
Bank or Saudi post offices.