Hajj Flights: Excessive delays in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: Pilgrims in Faisalabad say they are facing severe inconvenience due to excessive delays in departure of hajj flights from Faisalabad Airport. They say pilgrims from far-off areas of the city were left with no option but to wait for more than a day at the airport for departure of their flights. They criticised the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs for arranging direct hajj flights from Faisalabad to Jeddah when the airport lacked enough facilities to ensure that the flights left on time. The fifth hajj flight from the city left for Jeddah on Thursday morning after a delay of more than 31 hours. It was scheduled to depart at 3:30am on Wednesday. Earlier, the flight scheduled to leave at 2pm on Tuesday had left for Jeddah at 3pm on Wednesday. Several brawls have so far been reported between passengers and management at the airport.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2011.