Mumbai Airport Sees 157% Surge in Hajj Pilgrims This Year

This year, the annual journey to Mecca and Medina for the Hajj pilgrimage is set to become smoother with the help of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai. The airport will facilitate the journey of about 33,000 pilgrims from Mumbai to Saudi Arabia between May and July.

CSMIA will handle about 65,000 arrivals and departures between May and July 2024. In 2023, only 12,815 pilgrims departed from the airport. This is an increase of 157% in the number of Hajj pilgrims passing through CSMIA this year. 

To handle the increase in pilgrim travel, the number of ferry flights has also been increased to 101, covering both arrivals and departures.  

The three embarkation points (EPs) for the Hajj in Maharashtra are Nagpur, Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad).

Several airlines, including Saudia Airlines, IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara, will operate 11 flights per day. Saudia Airlines is responsible for the official Hajj migration from Mumbai airport during the peak season. 

The airfare for pilgrims travelling to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia varies based on the embarkation point. The lowest airfare is INR 3,21,150 from Mumbai, followed by INR 3,42,100 from Nagpur, and the highest is INR 4,07,200 from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The initial installment for all pilgrims is approximately INR 2,51,000 with the remaining amount to be reimbursed based on the EP in the second phase. An additional fee of about INR 15,000 is charged for qurbani, or animal sacrifice.

In 2023, travellers who selected Mumbai as their EP for Hajj paid INR 3.03 lakh in airfare, while those from Nagpur paid INR 3.67 lakh. Pilgrims from Aurangabad paid the highest airfare of INR 3.92 lakh.

The pricing implemented by the Haj Committee of India (HCI) in 2018 has been a point of contention among pilgrims, who unsuccessfully petitioned the high court for a change in EP. 

Haj Committee of India (HCI) and Ministry of Minority Affairs have recently released a new application called 'Haj Suvidha'. The app was made specifically for the Hajj traveller travelling to Makkah and Madina in 2024. It will help first-time visitors and ladies travelling alone with no male companion (Mahram).