Umrah Pilgrims Stranded in Saudi Arabia: Flights Off Till October 31
Image: AP / Siasat Daily
More than 600 Umrah pilgrims from Karnataka and 36 from Jammu and Kashmir are waiting in Makkah and Madinah for a way home, after IndiGo extended its cancellation of all Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah flights to 31 October. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah said on Saturday, 24 October, that its round-the-clock control rooms in Jeddah and Makkah were providing food, medicines and help with visas and rebooking. Flights were halted after Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the strike on Dammam airport on 21 October that killed one Indian.
Helplines in Jeddah and Makkah
Pilgrims with hotel or service problems are asked to call Saudi Arabia’s Pilgrim Care Centre on 1966, register the complaint and pass the case number to the Indian control rooms. The Makkah control room, at the Indian Haj Pilgrims Office, is on +966 553646966. The Jeddah room is on +966 12 2614093 and +966 556122301, and on WhatsApp at +966 536209704.
The consulate said it was working with Saudi ministries on visa extensions and with airlines on refunds, and was putting Umrah operators in touch with airlines still flying to India, subject to seats and fares.
Also read Air India Cancels Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah Flights Till October 20
Money Running Out for Karnataka Group
Karnataka’s State Haj Committee, after visiting the two cities, reported that many pilgrims had run out of money and some hotels had asked them to leave, Siasat Daily reported. Routes via Dubai, Muscat or Kuwait cost over Rs 1 lakh a person. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on 23 October seeking special flights. The same day, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said stranded pilgrims were returning home safely. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi put the number stuck at about 4,000 and asked the DGCA to allow larger aircraft or special flights. The Centre has not published its own count.
Akasa Suspended Into November
IndiGo first cut Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah flights to 27 October; that date has now moved to 31 October. Akasa Air has suspended Jeddah flights until 10 November and Riyadh until 30 November, and Air India and Air India Express have stopped Riyadh and Dammam services until 7 November. The consulate’s advisory does not say whether special flights will be arranged or how many Indians are waiting.
Source: Consulate General of India, Jeddah. Also based on reporting by Siasat Daily, The Tribune, ETV Bharat and Business Today.
Image: AP / Siasat Daily.
