- MAKKAH: Sama Airline’s exit from the Saudi skies last month has led to a 30 percent increase in ticket prices for returning Umrah pilgrims for the current season, according to Saad Al-Qarshi, chairman of the Haj and Umrah committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The airline ceased business on Aug. 24 following heavy losses. Sama had flown in thousands of pilgrims before that date. Those passengers now have to depend on other airlines for their homeward journey.
However, Al-Qarshi added that the cancellation of flights did not cause any pilgrims to overstay, Al-Eqtisadiah reported on Tuesday.
“According to preliminary estimates, the total number of illegally overstaying Umrah pilgrims when the season ends on Sep. 24 will be between 6,000 and 7,000, out of a total of 3.9 million pilgrims,” he said.