By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Kozhikode: The Hajj camp, set up by the State Hajj Committee, will be functional from Cochin International Airport by the last week of August and is set to cater services for Hajj pilgrims from Kerala, Mahe and Lakshdweep.
The Hajj committee has set up a full-fledged camp when this airport as the embarkation point was shifted to Kochi owing to the temporary closure of the Calicut International Airport for proposed re-strengthening and re-carpeting works here, Kottumala Bappu Musliyar, Hajj Committee chairman, told Twocircles.net on Tuesday.
The pilgrims will start to arrive at the camp on September 1.
“The camp has adequate facilities with the cooperation of airport authorities. Requisite number of volunteers will be deployed in order to ensure smooth functioning of the camp. Pilgrims arriving from distant places will be provided with facilities to stay here,” Bappu Musliyar said.
Meanwhile, marking the starting of Hajj trips, the first flight carrying 340 pilgrims will take off from the airport on September 2 at 1.45 pm. As many as 5, 975 pilgrims will be taken to Jeddah International Airport by Air India, which is slated to operate 19 services with its Jumbo flights. Two flights will be operated on September 7, 8 and 9 each and the last flight will be operated onSeptember 17 at 1.55 pm.
The chairman didn’t rule out the possibility of getting more seats for the state saying that the possibility of getting more seats might be allotted from Central pool.
Pilgrims will be given 41 to 42 days to spend in Saudi Arabia to visit the holy places such as Medina after performing Hajj.
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