Haj pilgrims carry excess baggage — AI

MUMBAI, APRIL 1: Air-India has said that Haj pilgrims carrying baggage in excess of the weight limit and congestion at the Jeddah airport ...

MUMBAI, APRIL 1: Air-India has said that Haj pilgrims carrying baggage in excess of the weight limit and congestion at the Jeddah airport from lack of adequate infrastructural facilities forced the pilgrims to leave behind their baggage because of safety reasons.

Air-India’s Public Relations Director Jitender Bhargava said on Saturday that a Haj pilgrim is allowed to carry 45 kgs of baggage, including 10 kgs of holy water. But most of the passengers carry baggage exceeding this limit because of which they have to leave their baggage behind, he said.

AI’s Commercial Director V K Verma said that a lot of pilgrims carry over 60 kgs in excess baggage adding that in the last 30 flights that operated from Jeddah, 30 tonnes of baggage had to be left behind. He pointed out that for safety reasons the baggage had to be kept behind. These will be brought herelater in scheduled flights.

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He said that at the Jeddah airport, AI has been provided with only one bay and four counters because of which they are able to operate only four to five flights per day.

Urging the pilgrims to co-operate by carrying lesser luggage, Air-India officials pointed out that the number of Haj pilgrims has increased considerably over the years. While 65 one-way flights were operated in 1995, this year it had to operate 191 flights. At the same time, the infrastructure at the Jeddah airport, which is used by Haj pilgrims to reach Mecca, has not increased significantly.

The officials said that they would bring the problems to the notice of the Central Haj Committee to solve the problem.