Visits to the North Terminal showed that passengers, whether Umrah returnees or holidaymakers, were able to enter the lounge with ease and comfort compared to the last four days.  The lounge still had a sizeable number of outgoing passengers, but it was devoid of congestion and overcrowding. The presence of security officials at the gate also made a difference as they restricted entry to only passengers with confirmed bookings.

The North Terminal witnessed chaotic scenes in the past four days, with an unprecedented rush of passengers going overseas for the Eid Al-Fitr break and Umrah pilgrims wanting to be with their families back home for the festive occasion. The situation became, at times, unmanageable due to the malfunctioning of the terminal’s conveyor belts that move checked luggage. Consequently, some flights were delayed from 45 minutes to over 12 hours.

Some Umrah operators were upset by the flight delays and the consequent additional expenditure they had to incur in terms of food and hotel accommodation for their pilgrims. “We are considering a move to demand compensation for the extra expenses incurred by us,” one Umrah operator said on condition of anonymity.

Asked from whom they would demand compensation, he said: “Whoever is responsible for the inordinate delays in the last four days, with some of the flights departing as late as 12 hours. If it is the airline that is responsible for the delay then we would direct our request to them and if it is due to the inadequate infrastructure facilities it will have to be directed to official quarters.”

The Umrah operator’s statement ran parallel to a report appearing in Saturday’s Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper which quoted Saad Al-Quraishy, chairman of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that some Umrah companies were intending to press for compensation in the context of the delays that made them spend more on food and hotel accommodation of the pilgrims.

Airline officials, however, maintained that they have been taking care of food and hotel requirements of passengers depending on the length of flight delays.

“It’s an established practice for airlines to provide light refreshments or meals for delays involving over four to six hours or send them to hotels if flights are delayed by over eight to 12 hours,” Air India’s Western Province Manager Pravin Mistry told Arab News. “And we have been doing this.”

The South Terminal presented a scene of confusion on Saturday, with long queues of Umrah returnees and other passengers.

“There is no assistance and no signage to guide us where we should check-in,” a Far-East bound passenger said. “I’ve not been able to get into the lounge for my 10.30 p.m. Saudia flight even after reaching the airport four hours before,” another passenger heading the subcontinent said.