The first of its kind.. Saudi Airlines finalizes pilgrims’ travel procedures and collects their luggage from their residence in Makkah and Madinah
Ashraf AboArafe
The first of its kind, during the Hajj season of this year 1443 AH, Saudi Arabian Airlines is implementing a free initiative to finalize travel procedures for international flights for groups, which includes the issuance of the boarding pass as well as the baggage card, in addition to receiving the group’s baggage from their residence in Makkah or Madinah before the departure time of their flights in (24) to (72) hours to complete all procedures related to it and then transfer it directly to the baggage acceptance area at the airport.
Dr. Hani bin Nasser Al-Hatirshi, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines’ entry stations, explained that this initiative aims to serve more than 200,000 pilgrims and reduce their waiting time in front of airport check-in platforms, by completing the pilgrims’ travel procedures at their place of residence in Makkah or Madinah by going by vehicle. Special devices equipped with special devices to print boarding passes and baggage cards, and a scale for weighing baggage to the pilgrims’ accommodation sites to provide the service and finalize all travel procedures and hand them over boarding passes and baggage cards while taking their baggage and transporting it to the designated site for packaging and passing the initial security check procedures in the presence of mission officials and companies The representative of Saudi Airlines then stored in a designated area until it is requested at the airport 12 to 18 hours before the flight, where it is transferred to the baggage claim area at the airport, which enables the pilgrim to reach the airport and leave without any trouble or stopping.
For his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jeddah Administrative Company operating the initiative, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Sheikh, indicated that the implementation area of the initiative is located on the Prince Mohammed bin Salman “Makkah-Jeddah Expressway” with an area of 8,000 square meters, fully prepared for a safe operational safety, pointing to the recruitment of more than 600 employees. To finalize travel procedures, and provide more than 1,500 personnel to transport luggage with the possibility of increasing human capacity in case of need.
He pointed out that the site in Makkah is equipped with support centers, offices for missions and representatives of airlines to contribute to the process of communication and exchange of information on a timely basis. Civil Aviation, Saudi Airlines and other relevant airlines.
The Director General of Communications and Media Affairs at Saudi Airlines, Eng. Abdullah Al-Shahrani, explained that this initiative comes in the context of Saudi Airlines’ keenness every year to present new initiatives to serve and comfort pilgrims, in order to achieve the directives of the wise leadership – may God protect them – and the Kingdom’s vision 2030 and to reach the pilgrims at the headquarters. Their residence to provide the service to them without trouble or hardship, noting that work has been done to communicate this initiative through diplomatic and Hajj missions and through the media, as well as by communicating with travel agents abroad, and this service is being provided through prior coordination by representatives of groups with service providers Service in Makkah around the clock, all week long via e-mail (hajjm1@jed-sa.com) as well as via (WhatsApp) service (966515223812), and in Madinah via e-mail (hajjS1@jed-sa.com) and (WhatsApp) service ) via the number (966515223813), expressing his hope to deliver this service to all pilgrims to the House of God and to all customers of Saudi Airlines.
Al-Shahrani indicated that Saudi Airlines launched an awareness campaign related to baggage instructions for pilgrims, the pilgrims of the House of God, and the standards of their regulations, and it includes many sites inside and outside the Kingdom, as part of its keenness on the smooth flow of movement at airports and operational operations in the return phase after performing the rituals.
The awareness campaign fulfills the clarification of all regulations related to baggage, as its contents take into account the use of the easy method supported by pictures, in addition to providing it in (6) various languages spoken by pilgrims, while it will be distributed at more than (20) international stations, in addition to various sites internally and includes campaigns Hajj in the holy sites and camps, as well as hotels in both Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, adding that the campaign instructions also include an emphasis on not carrying any kind of liquid, including Zamzam water, inside the luggage, in addition to the need for the luggage to be in good condition and wrapped, and other instructions that It is intended to complete the return phase without any obstacles.
