The Hajj flight operation began on Saturday, with the first flight carrying 160 pilgrims departing from Karachi for Saudi Arabia.

Pilgrims were seen off by Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi along with senior officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, who extended their best wishes.

Officials said that more than 31,000 pilgrims are expected to depart from Karachi airport during this year’s Hajj operations under the government scheme.

Under the Road to Makkah Project, Saudi authorities will complete one-time immigration for pilgrims at Karachi airport before departure, streamlining their arrival process in the Kingdom.

A total of 119,000 pilgrims will travel to the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah via 468 flights nationwide. Of these, 67,230 are male pilgrims, while 51,846 are female.

On the first day of operations, four flights will carry pilgrims to Madinah, while flights to Jeddah are set to begin on May 4.

The first long flight to Madinah will depart on May 7, while the final flight from Pakistan is set to leave on May 21, concluding the pre-Hajj operation.