Successful Return of 30,000 Afghan Pilgrims Concludes in Kabul

The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has announced the successful completion of the transfer of approximately 30,000 Afghan pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, culminating in the 97th flight at Kabul International Airport…

Completion of Afghan Pilgrims’ Return

The Taliban’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has officially declared that the extensive operation for transporting Afghan pilgrims from Saudi Arabia has successfully concluded with the final coordinating flight. According to the ministry’s information, the last flight, carrying 252 Afghan pilgrims, landed on Wednesday at Kabul International Airport, effectively closing the return process for all pilgrims this year.

Flight Management from Four Major Transit Zones

Officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Transport confirmed that this year’s pilgrims to the holy site of Mecca were dispatched through four major airports in the country: Kabul International Airport, Ahmed Shah Baba Airport in Kandahar, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Airport in Herat, and Moulana Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Airport in Mazar-i-Sharif. This operation was executed in reverse order, following the completion of the religious rituals of Hajj, according to a scheduled timetable, returning pilgrims to their respective provinces.

Two-Phase Return Process and Travel Caravan Details

The return operation for the pilgrims, which commenced about a month ago, was organized in two essential phases. In the first phase, those pilgrims who initially entered Medina directly were transported back to Afghanistan via Jeddah International Airport. In the second phase, the remaining pilgrims, after completing their rituals in Medina, praying at the Prophet’s Mosque, and visiting holy and historical sites, returned home as per the program. Notably, the first return flight for the pilgrims was conducted by Kam Air, bringing 346 pilgrims from Nangarhar along with their caravan guides from Jeddah to Kabul.

Complete Quota and Inter-Agency Coordination in Hajj Flights

According to official statistics from the Ministry of Information and Culture, Hajj, and Religious Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s quota for this year’s Hajj was approximately 30,000 pilgrims. This comprehensive logistical operation was managed through 97 organized flights over the course of one month. The successful execution of this structured program resulted from the joint coordination between the Ministry of Information and Culture, Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, and local airlines, which were able to provide necessary transportation services effectively at the four international airports in the country.