Direct Hajj flights from Sylhet to begin 14 May

Aiming to ease the sufferings of Hajj pilgrims, the national flag carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, is set to commence direct flights from Sylhet's Osmani International Airport to Madinah starting 14 May.

A total of five direct flights will be operated from Sylhet, accommodating 2,095 pilgrims to help make their travel smoother.

Shahnewaz Majumder, Biman's manager in Sylhet, said one maiden flight will fly directly to Madinah, while the remaining four will operate on the Sylhet-Jeddah route. The Jeddah-bound flights are scheduled for 23, 25, 26, and 29 May.

Immigration formalities for passengers flying directly from Sylhet will be completed upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.

Mohammed Ziaur Rahman Khan Rezwan, president of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), Sylhet Zone, said a total of 2,700 pilgrims from Sylhet will perform Hajj this year. Of them, 2,095 will travel directly from Sylhet, while the rest will depart from Dhaka.