Kolkata: Air India will operate 15 flights between January 20 and February 3 to Jeddah from Kolkata to transport about 6,150 Haj pilgrims, including 1,575 from Gaya.

The first flight from Kolkata, to be operated with a Boeing 747-400 aircraft, will depart at 19:45 hours (IST) on January 20, an Air India release said on January 17.

Air India, as the co-ordinating agency, has closely liaised with all concerned agencies to ensure that adequate infrastructural facilities are provided at Kolkata for these flights and in Saudi Arabia for arrival and return journey.

Nearly 71,500 pilgrims will be transported this year by the Union government to Jeddah from 12 cities in India. In addition to 6,150 pilgrims to be transported from Kolkata, 65,350 more pilgrims will be transported from 11 Indian cities.

Air India will operate 94 flights in all, in each direction to transport about 30,560 pilgrims from Kolkata and from Bangalore, Chennai, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Nagpur.

While Indian Airlines will operate 37 flights from Srinagar to carry 7,900 pilgrims, Saudi Arabian Airlines will operate 115 flights to airlift about 33,000 pilgrims from Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Round-the-clock control cells have been set up in Kolkata and in Saudi Arabia at Jeddah, Mecca and Medinah, the release said.

PTI