Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Fines will be imposed on airlines for every delayed Haj flight, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has said. GACA has cautioned airlines at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) and Madinah's Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport not to delay departures by more than three hours. In emergency cases, such as bad weather or natural disasters, the airline should notify and coordinate with the concerned bodies at the airport, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. GACA said all violations are documented by a committee and the airline or its agent in the Kingdom. If there are any financial dues from past Haj seasons, the airline will not be allowed to operate Haj flights until past dues are cleared. Any flight that tries to depart without the necessary permission will be subjected to fines. GACA added that all airlines operating Haj flights are asked to follow special instructions during departures and scheduling of flights to ensure a smooth flow and safety of flights. All airlines operating Haj flights should have the required license and operate according to the schedule approved by GACA. Meanwhile, Director of KAIA Abdulhameed Al-Ari said that the average number of passengers departing the airport daily will remain between 35,000 to 40,000 until the end of this lunar month. The total number of departing pilgrims is estimated at around 560,000 passengers. “About 120 daily flights are expected to depart Jeddah at an average of five flights an hour. Over 1,680 flights are expected to depart by the end of Dhul Hijja. The next two weeks will witness a peak in the number of departing flights and then decrease gradually until the middle of Muharram,” he said.
