Sylhet-Saudi direct hajj flight from 23 May

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines is all set to operate five hajj flights directly from Sylhet to Saudi Arabia from 23 May.

Of the flights, four will go to Jeddah and the remaining one to Medina in Saudi Arabia, said Biman’s Sylhet district office manager Mansur Ahmed Bhuiyan.

The number of hajj pilgrims from the Sylhet region has increased significantly this year. The national flag carrier is expected to carry a total of 2,976 hajj pilgrims from the region.

Aside from the direct ones, there will be five scheduled flights to carry passengers to Saudi Arabia.

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) submitted an application to Biman’s Sylhet office on 2 May, seeking direct flights for the hajj pilgrims, according to the association.

Biman official Mansur Ahmed Bhuiyan said the national flag carrier has been operating direct hajj flights from Sylhet for several years. The decision on this year’s hajj flights was taken in a meeting in Dhaka on Sunday. The Sylhet office has formally been informed over the decision on Monday.