Chaos over Hajj flights looms

Biman cancels 10 Hajj flights for ‘lack of passengers’

Apprehension of a disorder in flight schedule for intending hajj pilgrims looms large as ‘lack of passengers’ forced Biman Bangladesh Airlines to cancel 10 Hajj flights in 13 days.
However, the national flag carrier in a media statement yesterday said they will not take responsibility if any pilgrim fails to leave for Mecca to perform Hajj on their scheduled flight.
It is alleged that many Hajj agencies are not sending their passengers to board scheduled flights for financial benefits. As a result, the Biman authorities have had to cancel 10 scheduled flights, the Biman authorities said.
Biman has also asked Hajj agencies to submit passports and visas of pilgrims to the Biman office within 48 hours.
The Bangladesh Hajj office has already distributed 64,000 visas among pilgrims. Of them, only 30,000 pilgrims have left for Saudi Arabia.
 “We've allotted advance seats for pilgrims as per the demand of Hajj agents. But the agency owners are not sending their passengers despite getting visas. We had to cancel nine scheduled Hajj flights,” acting general manager (sales) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Syed Ahsan Hossain Kazi, told The Independent yesterday.
He also asked Hajj agents to submit passports and visas of pilgrims within 48 hours to the Biman office, otherwise the airlines will not be held responsible if any pilgrim fails to board a scheduled Hajj flight. “Hajj agents will be held responsible,” he added.
 The president of the Bangladesh Pilgrims and Hajji Welfare Council, Abdullah Al Naser, has expressed concern over the cancellation of 10 scheduled Hajj flights. He urged Hajj agents to submit passports and visas to the Biman office immediately to avoid any unwanted situation in sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.  “If Biman fails to get slot permission, many agents will fail to send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia,” he added. A total of 1,01,778 Bangladeshi pilgrims are to perform Hajj this year.

BSS adds: The government has taken pragmatic steps to resolve the problems of private Hajj agencies centering the cancellation of 10 hajj flights preventing some 5,000 pilgrims from performing Hajj this year.
Religious affairs ministry secretary Abdul Jalil told the news agency that the steps included: asking Biman authorities to open flight schedule and tickets’ position in the website, to the ministry and other Hajj agencies and arrange accommodation for 419 persons in each flight instead of 319, and confirm the visas and plane tickets 72 hours before the day of travelling.
Jalil said, “We process visas immediately after getting those in our hand . . . In the meantime 68,000 visas have already been processed against 319 Hajj agencies.”
Earlier, a press release of Biman Bangladesh Airlines said today it has to incur a huge loss as 10 Hajj flights have been cancelled so far. “The Biman authority asked all hajj agencies to confirm the visas and plane tickets 72 hours before the day of travelling,” the release, signed by general manager of public relation Khan Mosharraf Hossain, added.
The outgoing flights will continue till September 5 and the return flights will begin on September 17 and end on October 16. The holy Hajj is likely to be held on September 12, subject to sighting of the moon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated Hajj 2016 activities at Askona Hajj Camp in the capital on August 3.

Chaos over Hajj flights looms

Biman cancels 10 Hajj flights for lack of passengers

Apprehension of a disorder in flight schedule for intending hajj pilgrims looms large as lack of passengers forced Biman Bangladesh Airlines to cancel 10 Hajj flights in 13 days. However, the national flag carrier in a media statement yesterday said they will not take responsibility if any pilgrim fails to leave for Mecca to perform Hajj on their scheduled flight. It is alleged that many Hajj agencies are not sending their passengers to board scheduled flights for financial benefits. As a result, the Biman authorities have had to cancel 10 scheduled flights, the Biman authorities said. Biman has also asked Hajj agencies to submit passports and visas of pilgrims to the Biman office within 48 hours. The Bangladesh Hajj office has already distributed 64,000 visas among pilgrims. Of them, only 30,000 pilgrims have left for Saudi Arabia. Weve allotted advance seats for pilgrims as per the demand of Hajj agents. But the agency owners are not sending their passengers despite getting visas. We had to cancel nine scheduled Hajj flights, acting general manager (sales) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Syed Ahsan Hossain Kazi, told The Independent yesterday. He also asked Hajj agents to submit passports and visas of pilgrims within 48 hours to the Biman office, otherwise the airlines will not be held responsible if any pilgrim fails to board a scheduled Hajj flight. Hajj agents will be held responsible, he added. The president of the Bangladesh Pilgrims and Hajji Welfare Council, Abdullah Al Naser, has expressed concern over the cancellation of 10 scheduled Hajj flights. He urged Hajj agents to submit passports and visas to the Biman officeimmediately to avoid any unwanted situation in sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. If Biman fails to get slot permission, many agents will fail to send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, he added. A total of 1,01,778 Bangladeshi pilgrims are to perform Hajj this year. BSS adds: The government has taken pragmatic steps to resolve the problems of private Hajj agencies centering the cancellation of 10 hajj flights preventing some 5,000 pilgrims from performing Hajj this year. Religious affairs ministry secretary Abdul Jalil told the news agency that the steps included: asking Biman authorities to open flight schedule and tickets position in the website, to the ministry and other Hajj agencies and arrange accommodation for 419 persons in each flight instead of 319, and confirm the visas and plane tickets 72 hours before the day of travelling. Jalil said, We process visas immediately after getting those in our hand . . . In the meantime 68,000 visas have already been processed against 319 Hajj agencies. Earlier, a press release of Biman Bangladesh Airlines said today it has to incur a huge loss as 10 Hajj flights have been cancelled so far. The Biman authority asked all hajj agencies to confirm the visas and plane tickets 72 hours before the day of travelling, the release, signed by general manager of public relation Khan Mosharraf Hossain, added. The outgoing flights will continue till September 5 and the return flights will begin on September 17 and end on October 16. The holy Hajj is likely to be held on September 12, subject to sighting of the moon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated Hajj 2016 activities at Askona Hajj Camp in the capital on August 3.