J&K: 11 flights to operate from Srinagar airport to facilitate Hajj pilgrims

Authorities said that of these, four SpiceJet (SG) flights, three IndiGo (6E) flights and three IndiGo (IX) flights will operate from Delhi to Srinagar and back while one IndiGo (IX) flight will operate from Srinagar to Jammu and back.

"These flights will be carrying pilgrims from Srinagar (SXR) to Delhi (DEL) and then onwards to Medina for their Hajj pilgrimage," officials said.

Hajj flights started operating from Srinagar to Medina in Saudi Arabia from May 4, but after the closure of the Srinagar airport, these flights including all other commercial flights were suspended.

This year, a total of 3,623 pilgrims are scheduled to perform the Hajj pilgrimage from J&K and Ladakh.

Of these 3,132 are from J&K and 242 from Ladakh. Between May 4 and May 15, eleven flights were scheduled to depart from Srinagar International Airport, but these were interrupted on May 6 due to the military build up between India and Pakistan.

The Hajj pilgrims first report at the Hajj House in the Bemina area of Srinagar city, from where they are taken in special buses to the airport.

No relatives or friends are allowed to accompany the pilgrims from the Hajj House to the airport.

The first flight of pilgrims was seen off on May 4 at the Srinagar airport by the L-G Manoj Sinha and the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Hajj is the holiest Muslim pilgrimage that is mandatory for a Muslim who has the financial means to undertake the journey.

After de-escalation between the two countries, a modicum of peace has returned to border areas in J&K, where over 200 houses have been destroyed by Pakistan artillery fire on civilian facilities.

Maximum damage was caused by Pakistan mortar shelling in Poonch, Rajouri and Baramulla districts of J&K.

Security forces have asked border residents to wait for some time before unexploded enemy shells are defused and the border areas are declared safe for civilian activities.