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Iran to ramp up Umrah flights to Saudi Arabia amid renewed diplomatic ties
Hessam Qorban-Ali, spokesperson for Iran Air, told that the first Umrah flight of the current pilgrimage season took off from Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday morning, carrying 257 pilgrims to Medina.
Qorban-Ali said that from September 18, two daily flights will be operated using a wide-body aircraft, increasing to four flights from October 8, with two aircraft serving the route. Each flight can carry around 255 passengers, meaning around 500 pilgrims will be transported daily.
The Umrah pilgrimage, a series of rituals performed by Muslims at the Kaaba in Mecca, became possible for Iranians again in April after a nine-year hiatus, following the resumption of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrimage season is expected to run until December 20, with a second phase scheduled from December 21 to the end of the Umrah season.