JEDDAH: Hundreds of Indian pilgrims have been waiting since Thursday night to board their return flight home, which was scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. on Friday. As of late last night they still had no idea when they were going to board the plane.
“Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV 5172 to Lucknow was scheduled to leave Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz Airport at 8 a.m. on Friday,” said Mohammed Shafique, a pilgrim left high and dry. “Over 300 pilgrims were brought to the Haj Terminal at 9 p.m. on Thursday. But the flight was delayed for an unspecified period and no reason has been given by the airline officials at the airport.”
They also said that there was no arrangement to provide them with food, water, tea and accommodation. Another pilgrim said they checked in their bags at 1 p.m. on Friday, separating them from their luggage and any food they might have packed without any information about when the flight would depart.
“We could not go out for food due to strict security measures at the airport, and we are not getting anything worth eating here,” said pilgrim Kauser Mahdoodi.
The pilgrims were angry with the Haj Committee of India and the Indian mission in the Kingdom for not coming to their rescue. “None of the officials from the Indian Consulate or the Haj Committee are around to help us,” said Shafique.
However, he added that the airline officials provided some rice and curry to the pilgrims in the afternoon after a lot of complaints.
Indian officials confirmed that hundreds of pilgrims were stranded at the airport due to delay in flight and blamed the airline for pilgrims’ plight.
“It is Saudi Arabian Airlines which is responsible. They should have made arrangements for pilgrims if the flight was rescheduled. We are following up with the airline and in the meantime trying to provide food packets to stranded pilgrims,” said Consul General of India Saeed Ahmad Baba. However, Baba said, “We are facing problem in sending food packets to the Haj Terminal due to security measures.”
Haj Committee of India’s Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Owais said: “We have no role in it. We cannot take the pilgrims from the airport and put them in hotels and take care of them. As per IATA rules, the airline is supposed to provide food and accommodation to passengers if the flight is delayed beyond six hours. It is really sad that our pilgrims have not been properly taken care of.”
