Afghan Pilgrims Successfully Return Home After Hajj with Completion of Major Operation

The Ministry of Transport and Aviation of the Islamic Emirate announced the successful completion of the transfer process for around 30,000 Afghan pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to the country, marked by the successful landing of the ninety-seventh flight at Kabul International Airport…

Completion of Afghan Pilgrims’ Return to the Country

In an official statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Transport and Aviation has confirmed the successful conclusion of a major operation to bring back Afghan pilgrims from Saudi Arabia. The final flight, which landed on Wednesday, carried 252 Afghan pilgrims to Kabul International Airport, effectively wrapping up the return process for all this year’s pilgrims.

Management of Flights Through Four Major Transit Points

Officials from the Ministry of Aviation and Transport confirmed that this year’s pilgrims were dispatched to Saudi Arabia through four major airports in the country, including Kabul International Airport, Ahmad Shah Baba Airport in Kandahar, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Airport in Herat, and Mowlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi Airport in Mazar-e-Sharif. This reverse operation was carried out systematically and according to a set schedule following the completion of the spiritual rituals of Hajj, facilitating the return of the pilgrims to their respective provinces.

Two-Phase Return Process and Travel Caravan Details

The return operation for the pilgrims, which began around a month ago, was organized in two main phases. In the first phase, those pilgrims who had directly entered Medina at the start of their journey were transported back through Jeddah International Airport. The second phase saw the remaining pilgrims returning home after completing their rituals, praying in the Prophet’s Mosque, and visiting sacred and historical sites in Medina. Notably, the first return flight managed by Kam Air brought back 346 pilgrims from Nangarhar along with their caravan guides from Jeddah to Kabul.

Complete Quota and Inter-Agency Coordination for Hajj Flights

According to official statistics from the Ministry of Information, Culture, Hajj, and Religious Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s quota for this year’s Hajj was approximately 30,000 pilgrims. This extensive logistical operation was managed over a month with 97 scheduled flights. The successful implementation of this structured program resulted from coordinated efforts between the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, and national airlines, which provided necessary transport services at the four international airports in the country.