EgyptAir operates 14 flights from KSA carrying 4,378 pilgrims

CAIRO - 27 August 2018: EgyptAir operated 14 flights from Saudi Arabia to Cairo, 10 to Cairo Airport and 4 to Burg al-Arab Airport in Alexandria, carrying 4,378 pilgrims after completing Hajj rituals at the holy lands.

The national carrier executed Air Bridge starting from Sunday to bring the pilgrims back to homeland from Jeddah and Medina cities in Saudi Arabia, in an emergency state to transport the pilgrims from all over the world during the hajj season.

The concerned authorities have formed two teams of public relations from Cairo International Airport and the EgyptAir companies to welcome the pilgrims in order to facilitate completing the arrival peocedures.

EgyptAir has been operating more than 100 international and domestic flights daily from Cairo International Airport during Eid Al Adha vacation in order to transfer about 15,000 passengers a day.

A source at the airport said on Wednesday that the international and domestic flights operated by the national carrier were regular without delay in line with the flights operation schedule especially after finalizing all preparations to receive pilgrims after the end of the hajj (major pilgrimage) season.

The Maritime Nuweiba port will also receive pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia through Nuweiba-Aqaba route.

At the same time, the number of Egyptian pilgrims who passed away in Saudi Arabia during the annual Hajj pilgrimage reached 39, spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said on Wednesday.

Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on Hajj in Saudi Arabia, which takes place this year from August 19 to 24.

As nearly 2 million pilgrims from around the world braved heavy rain in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to begin the annual haj ritual, the country's health minister said there was no sign of any outbreaks of disease.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms forced pilgrims to take cover in tents and trudge through puddles, with civil defence warning of possible flooding throughout the evening.

The Saudi kingdom has mobilised vast resources for. Tens of thousands of security personnel have been deployed for the pilgrimage,

The six-day journey is one of the five pillars of Islam; every Muslim is required to complete the hajj at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.