Hajj flight starts Sunday

The hajj flight operates for this year carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims will start from Sunday.

Carrying 419 hajj pilgrims, the maiden hajj flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines is scheduled to leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka for Saudi Arabia around 9am, Biman Official sources told BSS.

State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali and State minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan are scheduled to see off the hajj pilgrims at HSIA.

The two other carrier of Saudi Arabia-- Saudia Airlines and FLynas-- will start operating hajj flight from June 10.

According to the bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, a total of 57,585 Bangladeshis will be able to perform hajj this year.

Of the total pilgrims, 4,000 will perform hajj under government hajj management while the rest will perform with personal arrangement.

The national flag carrier Biman, will carry 29,000 hajj pilgrims by three Boeing 777 aircraft under its 130 dedicated flights with 65 round trips while Saudia Airlines and Flynas transfer rest of the hajjis, reports BSS.