Pakistan’s Hajj 2025 operations officially commenced today with the departure of the first flight, PK-713, which took off from Islamabad at 4:45 AM carrying 442 pilgrims to the holy city of Madinah.
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki, and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat were present at Islamabad International Airport to see off the pilgrims. Special gift packs were also distributed among the departing pilgrims as a gesture of goodwill.
According to PIA officials, the national carrier will operate over 117 dedicated Hajj flights to transport approximately 35,200 pilgrims selected under the government scheme to Saudi Arabia this year.
The Hajj operation has been divided into two phases: in the first phase, pilgrims will be flown to Madinah, while the second phase will involve flights to Jeddah. PIA will operate direct Hajj flights from six major cities across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, and Quetta.
Later today, the first flight from Quetta—PK-7201—is scheduled to depart at 10:00 AM with 170 pilgrims onboard, followed by PK-747 from Lahore, which will carry 323 pilgrims to Madinah at 10:00 PM.
A notable feature of this year’s Hajj operation is the continued implementation of the “Road to Makkah” initiative at Islamabad and Karachi airports, facilitated in collaboration with the Saudi government. Under this initiative, pilgrims complete Saudi immigration formalities in Pakistan prior to departure, significantly reducing wait times and procedures upon arrival in the Kingdom.
PIA’s pre-Hajj flight operations will continue until May 31, while post-Hajj return flights are set to begin on June 10 and conclude by July 10.
