Hajj flights set to begin from April 18: Ministry

The Hajj flights from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia will start from April 18, said the Religious Affairs Ministry.

All Hajj agencies and airlines will have to strictly follow the directives of the Saudi government and the Hajj Package and Guidelines 2026, it said.

The ministry sent letters to the Hajj agency owners and the three airlines responsible for transporting Hajj pilgrims, outlining the instructions.

According to the letter, flights carrying pilgrims for Hajj 1447 Hijri (2026) will start operating from April 18. This year's Hajj is expected to fall on May 26.

As per Saudi government instructions, pilgrims under the same service company must be transported to Saudi Arabia on the same flight.

The ministry also said that under the Hajj Package and Guidelines 2026, at least 20 percent of an agency’s total pilgrims must be sent during the middle phase of the pre-Hajj flight schedule. The remaining pilgrims must be sent during the first and last phases, with 30 to 50 percent allocated to each phase.

However, no agency will be allowed to issue less than 30 percent or more than 50 percent of tickets during either the first or last phase of the pre-Hajj flights.

The ministry requested the concerned agencies and airlines to take necessary measures to ensure that pilgrims of the same service company travel on the same flight and that ticket issuance complies with the prescribed distribution for the different phases of the pre-Hajj flight schedule.