Date:31/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/31/stories/2008103153300400.htm

Kerala

Inaugural Haj flight leaves

Staff Reporter

First batch has 419 Hajis; State will send 9,000-odd pilgrims

For pilgrimage: Minister for Local Administration and Haj Affairs Paloli Mohammed Kutty flagging off the inaugural Haj flight at the Calicut International Airport, Karipur, on Thursday.

MALAPPURAM: The first batch of pilgrims under the State Haj Committee left for Mecca here on Thursday. Air India aircraft Boeing 747-437 took off from Calicut International Airport, Karipur, at 12.30 p.m. carrying 419 Hajis to Medina.

Minister for Haj Affairs Paloli Mohammed Kutty flagged off the inaugural flight.

Air India is scheduled to operate 24 more Haj services to Saudi Arabia to carry the remaining 9,000-odd pilgrims from Kerala. As many as 7,208 pilgrims have been selected through lots by the State Haj Committee.

About 2,000 additional pilgrims were included in the Central government quota from the State, besides 295 pilgrims from Lakshadweep and 51 from Mahe. All of them will fly to Saudi Arabia from Karipur, which is the State’s Haj embarkation point.

The first batch of Hajis, comprising 245 women and 174 men, were brought to the airport around 8 a.m. from the Haj House at Karipur. Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar led the prayer for the inaugural batch.

Leaders of different Muslim groups will lead the prayers on different days.

The flight was delayed by over two hours as Air India authorities could not arrange the aircraft as per schedule. Although a leased Boeing 747-400 (744) aircraft with all-economy configuration was planned, it could not be brought in time for the Hajis.

The airline managed to pull a Boeing 747-437 for the purpose to avoid further delay.

As many as 286 of the inaugural pilgrim batch belonged to Kozhikode district. There were 66 Hajis from Malappuram district and two from Wayanad district.

Apart from District Collector M.C. Mohandas, who is the executive officer in charge of Haj, Haj Committee Chairman A.K. Abdul Hameed and Central Haj Committee Vice-Chairman Alikutty Musliar oversaw the proceedings.

P.V. Abdul Wahab, MP, T.K. Hamza, MP, Mohammedunni Haji, MLA, P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, Airport Director-in-Charge Chinson Panakkal, and Special Haj Officer Aboobacker Chengat wished bon voyage to the inaugural pilgrim batch.

Request to Hajis

The second Haj flight will leave Karipur at 10.15 a.m. on Friday. Haj Committee officials requested Hajis to arrive at the Haj Camp at least 10 hours before the departure of the flight.