Flight schedule for Hajj 2026 officially announced

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced the official Hajj flight schedule for 2026. The first Hajj flight from Pakistan is set to depart on April 18.

The ministry announced that the Government Hajj Scheme will use 468 flights to bring pilgrims to the holy cities of Medina and Makkah. Air travel will begin on April 18 with flights departing from Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, and Multan.

The government scheme will send 119,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, which includes 67,230 male pilgrims and 51,846 female pilgrims. The first day of the Hajj operation will use four flights to transport pilgrims to Medina. Hajj flights to Jeddah will begin on May 4, while the first flight to Medina will depart on May 7.

The last Hajj flight from Pakistan is scheduled for May 21. The pilgrimage transport operation will run for 34 days, which starts with 15 days of Medina flights.

The Hajj season will see airlines operate 186 flights to Medina and 282 flights to Jeddah. Pilgrims will travel via PIA, Airblue, AirSial, and the Saudi airline.

Eight major Pakistani cities will serve as flight departure points with 129 flights from Islamabad, 124 flights from Karachi, 104 flights from Lahore, 18 flights from Quetta, 34 flights from Multan and 26 flights from Sialkot and 23 flights from Faisalabad, and 5 flights from Sukkur.

The ministry has urged pilgrims to follow official channels for flight updates and to ensure a smooth journey for Hajj 2026.