The national airline company Air Algerie has scheduled 66 flights for 2014 Hajj (pilgrimage to the Holy places of Islam) as from 7 September, announced Wednesday in Algiers the company's CEO, Mohamed Saleh Boultif.
"For Hajj 2014, the company has scheduled 66 flights to carry 16,000 Algerian hajjis (pilgrims) to Saudi Arabia among the 28,000 hajjis who will perform hajj this year," Boultif told DK News forum.
These flights have been divided as follow: 28 flights from the international airport of Algiers, 15 from the airport of Oran, 9 from Constantine, 9 from Ouargla and 5 from Annaba, he said.
The ticket prices are the same as last year's, i.e. DZD 100,000, said Boultif. He also announced the introduction of the first class in order to meet the demand, adding that the first class ticket costs DZD 140,000.
The Saudi airline company, as in previous years, will carry the remaining 12,800 Algerian hajjis, he said.
As regards the Umrah (small pilgrimage), Boultif said that Air Algerie has transported 73,840 pilgrims in 294 flights from 11 January till end May, adding that this figure is expected to increase to 105,000 pilgrims by end of the holy month of fasting Ramadan.