An exceptional schedule of 44 flights will be operated to transport over 10,500 Tunisian pilgrims to the Holy Places, at a rate of 3 flights a day, according to the Transport Ministry.

The Department explained on Friday morning, as the first flight of Tunisian pilgrims departed for Mecca, that the national carrier Tunisair would be operating 22 of these flights to transport around 4,940 pilgrims.

Transport Minister Rabii Majidi saw off Tunisair’s first flight of to the Holy Places, carrying 260 passengers including 219 pilgrims.

According to the Transport Ministry, the last flight to Mecca is scheduled for June 23.

Return flights for Tunisian pilgrims are scheduled for July 3 to 17.

“Measures have been taken to avoid the problems seen during the past Hajj season by deploying a large aircraft with a capacity of more than 300 passengers to transport pilgrims from one of the Tunisian airports and to ensure the return of all sick pilgrims residing in hospitals after the end of the Hajj season,” the same source pointed out.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse