GMG set to carry 14,000 Hajj passengers
Monday, 1 August 2011
Jamal Uddin
GMG Airlines has planned to carry around 14,000 Hajj passengers this year after the government has selected the private airliner as a 3rd carrier, an official said. Asif Ahmed, the airline's head of marketing, said an agreement will be signed with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism shortly to facilitate the hajj operation. He told the FE recently that "We've already had a fruitful meeting with the ministry regarding the hajj operation." "Our 3rd Boeing 767, which is expected to join the fleet in a few days and two others will be used for carrying Hajj pilgrims while adjusting the flying schedules for our Gulf destinations," he noted. Last year the company carried nearly 3000 hajj passengers, he said. Mr Ahmed expressed the hope that the airline would start flying Hajj passengers to Saudi Arabia in late September and return flights would start sometime in December. He however noted that there is no doubt as Hajj operation is sensitive, which was highly regulated by the KSA government. The GMG official said his company has gathered "good experience" in Hajj operation, aware of the "sensitivity" as it is regulated by the Saudi government. Despite nominal profits Hajj passengers carrying, we are doing this from our responsibility as a Bangladesh-based airline, Mr Ahmed explained. The Civil Aviation Ministry signed hajj passenger transportation agreements with nine international airlines on July 28 and signing with three airlines including GMG has remained pending. Ministry officials said as many as 106,965 Bangladeshi devoted Muslims have registered with the authorities to perform Hajj this year. Of them, 3,731 will perform the Muslim ritual under government management while the rest 103,234 will perform under private management.
GMG Airlines has planned to carry around 14,000 Hajj passengers this year after the government has selected the private airliner as a 3rd carrier, an official said. Asif Ahmed, the airline's head of marketing, said an agreement will be signed with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism shortly to facilitate the hajj operation. He told the FE recently that "We've already had a fruitful meeting with the ministry regarding the hajj operation." "Our 3rd Boeing 767, which is expected to join the fleet in a few days and two others will be used for carrying Hajj pilgrims while adjusting the flying schedules for our Gulf destinations," he noted. Last year the company carried nearly 3000 hajj passengers, he said. Mr Ahmed expressed the hope that the airline would start flying Hajj passengers to Saudi Arabia in late September and return flights would start sometime in December. He however noted that there is no doubt as Hajj operation is sensitive, which was highly regulated by the KSA government. The GMG official said his company has gathered "good experience" in Hajj operation, aware of the "sensitivity" as it is regulated by the Saudi government. Despite nominal profits Hajj passengers carrying, we are doing this from our responsibility as a Bangladesh-based airline, Mr Ahmed explained. The Civil Aviation Ministry signed hajj passenger transportation agreements with nine international airlines on July 28 and signing with three airlines including GMG has remained pending. Ministry officials said as many as 106,965 Bangladeshi devoted Muslims have registered with the authorities to perform Hajj this year. Of them, 3,731 will perform the Muslim ritual under government management while the rest 103,234 will perform under private management.