Manchester Airport is the only travel hub in the north to offer direct flights to Jeddah
In a few weeks, up to 1,000 pilgrims are set to pass through Manchester Airport on their way to Mecca as part of Hajj.
- making it the starting point for more than 1,000 Hajj pilgrims, including many from Lancashire.Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. And its destination, Mecca, is the place where the Prophet Muhammad was born. It is also where He received the first revelations from Allah, which went on to become the Quran.
For so many, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience now. Restrictions that were put in place during the Covid pandemic remain in place, spaces are very limited, and it can cost up to £10,000 per person, all-in-all, so for many people their life savings go into this. Five members of my own family are travelling this year, so obviously I’m very excited for them. Jeddah Airport is only about an hour’s drive from Makkah, so we are very lucky to have a direct flight there from Manchester.
How does Manchester Airport help to ensure their journey goes smoothly? SC: Pilgrims have spent a lot of money to travel for Hajj, and it’s not as simple as rebooking for next year if things go wrong, so naturally people can get a bit anxious about that. Our job is to take as much of the stress out of it as we can.
Are there any special arrangements for people coming back to the UK? SC: Not as such, but the Airport Chaplaincy is always here to support people as best as we can, whether that’s spiritually or practically, so pilgrims are more than welcome to contact us if they want someone to talk to on their arrival back in Manchester.
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