PIA unveils Hajj 2023 fares

National flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has disclosed the fares for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

The airline has also divulged information on flight operations and private Hajj fares for the upcoming season. As per the airline’s schedule, Hajj flight operations will run from May 21 to August 2, 2023.

Under the private Hajj category, the fares for pilgrims South region including Karachi, Quetta, Sukkur, and Hyderabad are set to range from $870 to $1180 per passenger.

For the North region including Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, and other cities, fares are fixed at $910 to $1220.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is expected to release the official fares for pilgrims.

Reports indicate that the fares for this category may fall between Rs310,000 and Rs330,000.

PIA intends to transport more than 38,000 pilgrims to the Hajj this year, utilizing Boeing 777 and Airbus 320 for its Hajj flight operations to Jeddah and Madina.

This year, a total of 180,000 pilgrims from Pakistan are expected to perform Hajj in the holy land.

The full cost of the official Hajj pilgrimage may reach up to Rs1.02 million this year.

Dar reassures help despite economic woes

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has reassured the Ministry of Religious Affairs that despite the country’s economic challenges, all facilities will be provided to Hajj pilgrims.

The announcement came during a meeting held in Islamabad to review the Hajj Policy 2023, which was attended by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor.

According to sources, nearly 180,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform the religious ritual this year.

The meeting also discussed the issues related to foreign exchange while the ministry apprised Dar about the challenges facing the department in this regard.

Despite these challenges, the finance minister assured the participants that the government is fully committed to providing all necessary facilities to the pilgrims.

He emphasized that Hajj is a sacred duty and the government is taking all possible steps to ensure that the pilgrims can perform the religious ritual with ease and comfort.