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DUBAI / WAM
With the commencement of the Hajj season and upcoming Eid Al Adha celebrations, Emirates is layering on additional flights to key regional destinations to meet significant travel demand during this special period.
As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lifts all Hajj travel restrictions for the first time in three years, Emirates has deployed additional flights for pilgrims to embark on their journey to and from the Holy City of Makkah. Ten flights have been added to and from Jeddah. All flights will be operated on Boeing 777 aircraft dedicated for Hajj pilgrims until July 07.
The Hajj flights to Jeddah will run in parallel to Emirates’ existing schedule to the Kingdom and are open to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa and, if above the age of 12, have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Medina will also be served with daily flights during this time.
This year, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah anticipates 2.6 million pilgrims, reaching pre-pandemic numbers and the additional flights aim to help seamlessly carry pilgrims. Emirates has already seen strong bookings for Hajj travel from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Mauritius and South Africa.
Gearing up for a busy travel period for Eid Al Adha, Emirates has deployed an additional 34 flights to popular destinations across the region. With an estimated 78,000 people from across the region expected to travel with Emirates during the Eid Al Adha six-day break, the additional flights will facilitate passengers traveling home to celebrate with their family and friends.
For passengers traveling to the Levant, Emirates has added ten flights to Amman from 21st to 30th June, and ten additional flights to Beirut from 20th to 29th June. Within the GCC, the airline has added five flights to Dammam from 21st to 25th June and nine flights to Kuwait from 22nd June to 2nd July.
Emirates has recorded a 20 percent increase in demand in comparison to 2022 with a large percentage of its customers heading to India, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines, the UK, France and the US, as well as across the region to Lebanon, Jordan and Dubai.