First pre-Hajj flight from Lahore to depart on April 18

LAHORE: Pre-Hajj flight operations from Lahore Airport will begin on April 18, with the first flight set to leave for Medina, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

The authority said a total of 101 flights have been scheduled from Lahore as part of the pre-Hajj operation. The first departure will be operated by Saudi Airlines as flight SV 5735 and will travel to Medina.

According to the schedule prepared for the operation, several airlines will take part in transporting intending pilgrims from Lahore. The PAA said the arrangements for the pre-Hajj flights have been finalised for the airport.

According to the details provided, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate 33 flights during the pre-Hajj phase from Lahore. Saudi Airlines will run 29 flights, while Air Blue has been assigned 24 flights and Air Sial will operate 15 flights.

The figures indicate that the national carrier and three private or foreign airlines will jointly handle the outbound Hajj traffic from Lahore under the pre-Hajj plan.

The first flight’s departure on April 18 marks the start of the city’s Hajj travel operation for this year. The initial service will head to Medina, one of the main arrival points for pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

The Pakistan Airports Authority shared the operational schedule for Lahore Airport, outlining the number of flights and the carriers involved. The plan covers only the pre-Hajj phase and sets out how the flights will be distributed among the participating airlines.

Under the schedule, PIA will have the largest share of flights from Lahore, followed by Saudi Airlines, Air Blue and Air Sial. The first flight, however, will be operated by Saudi Airlines.

The announcement provides the basic framework for the movement of pilgrims from Lahore ahead of Hajj, including the launch date, destination of the first flight and the total number of services to be operated from the airport.

The PAA said the first Hajj flight from Lahore will depart on April 18 and will travel to Medina via Saudi Airlines flight SV 5735. It also confirmed that 101 flights in total have been planned from the airport for the pre-Hajj operation.