The system of pilgrims’ transportation and returning them to their countries
Every year, approximately (1,500,000) pilgrims travel by air to the Holy Places in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to use all possible efforts and measures to facilitate the proper atmosphere and provide for the pilgrims convenience and safety in conformity to Article (24) of the Fundamental Government Regime issued by the Royal Decree (A/90) dated 27/8/1412H, which states that: "The Government is obliged to improve and modernize the infrastructure and facilities of the two Holy Mosques and provide quality services and security for the sake of the Guests of Allah in order to perform their Hajj and Umrah safely."
In light of the instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation and General Inspector, all governmental and private sectors function together to ensure pilgrims convenience and safety in both in-bound and out-bound phases. Since airports are the starting point to serve the traveling pilgrims, the Presidency of Civil Aviation has made the necessary arrangements for pilgrims starting from the embarkation process to the disembarkation and acting side-by-side with the rest of the governmental systems.
In accordance with the leadership's directives to offer the pilgrims, who are the "Guests of God", the best services and to provide them with all attention and convenience to enable them to fulfill their religious duties with ease and in comfort and return to their countries safely, Presidency of Civil Aviation (PCA), together with other concerned national and government agencies, has the responsibility and honor to implement the following directives. PCA undertakes to make the necessary arrangements to receive these pilgrims arriving by air at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), their first point of arrival in the Kingdom.
On basis of higher authority directives, these rules and regulations are formulated to organize the air transport operations to serve the pilgrims and further to ease and simplify procedures related to their arrival and departure in a safe, secure and regular fashion.
The regulations stipulate the procedures and actions required for submission of operation requests as well as the measures regulating these applications. It also includes flight scheduling, slot allocation and other related approvals. Moreover, it contains the basic operational and safety requirements need to be fulfilled for obtaining the required operation permission.
These rules and regulations also define the technical measures and operational provisions applied on all flights either operated by an aircraft fully owned by the air carrier or a leased aircraft.
Download the regulations and instructions here
