Desk Report: Ministry of Religious Affairs has said pre-Hajj flights for the 2026 pilgrimage will begin on April 18, instructing Hajj agencies and airlines to follow Saudi government directives as well as the country’s Hajj Package and Guidelines 2026.
In a letter signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Safiuzzaman Bhuiya and sent on Sunday (January 11) to Hajj agency owners and three airlines carrying pilgrims, the ministry said all pilgrims affiliated with the same Saudi service company must be transported to the kingdom on the same flight.
The letter also set ticket-issuance ratios for the pre-Hajj flight period.
Each agency must send at least 20% of its pilgrims during the mid-phase of pre-Hajj flights, while the remaining pilgrims must be split between the first and last phases, with 30% to 50% allocated to each end.
It said airlines must not issue less than 30% or more than 50% of an agency’s tickets for either the first or the last phase.
The ministry said it had asked airlines and Hajj agencies to take the necessary steps to ensure that pilgrims tied to the same service company travel together and that tickets are issued in line with the prescribed proportions.
Separately, it said all Umrah pilgrims must leave Saudi Arabia by April 18, 2026, describing the deadline as necessary to ensure smooth Hajj logistics.
