Travel companies supplying Haj operators with buses say their fleets remain dormant as low demand due to swine flu fears is causing contracts to be canceled, with rent reductions of up to 30 percent still failing to bring in the numbers required. “Most travel companies both here and abroad have canceled previous contracts for buses, and most of the 50 companies in this province are having real problems finding a demand for their 2,000-bus fleet,” said Abdullah Al-Hammadi, from a bus company in the Eastern Province. Al-Hammadi says that the province's bus operators usually see an annual income of between SR700 million and one billion in pilgrimage-related business, with buses rented out for between SR50,000 and SR65,000. “There's no sign of change on the horizon, and Haj firms are reluctant to conclude contracts even with the large discounts, as they don't believe they will achieve the required numbers of pilgrims,” Al-Hammadi said. Employing the buses on routes other than those leading to the holy sites is an “unrealistic option”, according to Al-Hammadi, as the business simply is not there. “In the Haj season 90 to 95 percent of all companies' buses are normally operating at the holy sites,” he said. According to Haj operator Ali Shihab, the swine flu virus has “killed” the season. – Okaz/SG “Most operators used to reach the required number of pilgrims by the end of Ramadan, but now a month or so later, we are still not obtaining enough,” Shihab said. “Haj firms have seen a lot of pilgrim cancellations and many are considering suspending their operations for this year,” he said. “Some have already decided not to bother to rent accommodation in Makkah because of the lack of numbers.”
