PARIS, 10 February — Some 350 pilgrims have been stranded at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris because of a flight authorization problem, the airport authority here confirmed yesterday.
"There are old people among the pilgrims," said a concerned spokeswoman at the airport. "We have set up a medical unit and are providing food and hotel rooms, but this cannot go on indefinitely," the spokeswoman told KUNA by telephone.
Some of the pilgrims have been at the airport since Wednesday, but most arrived on Thursday to find their planes were not authorized to take off because landing permission in Saudi Arabia was not granted.
The Paris airport has contacted the Transport Ministry to inquire about the situation and is in touch with the Saudi authorities, the official said.
Some of the passengers have been put on Egyptian carriers, he said. The passengers were scheduled to fly to Jeddah aboard a plane chartered by the Greek company Electra.
More pilgrims to Makkah are expected to arrive at Paris airport's T9 charter terminal, but the airport authorities are trying to discourage passengers from coming to the airport if their flights cannot be guaranteed.
The French official said the Greek charter company had no representative at the Paris airport. (KUNA)
