In a swift and coordinated effort, 240 Haj pilgrims from Ladakh were successfully airlifted from Srinagar to Delhi and onward to Madina Munawara on May 15 via two special SpiceJet flights. The pilgrims have now safely reached their destination.

The airlift followed the cancellation of their original flights scheduled for May 9, due to operational challenges at the Srinagar Embarkation Point. Timely intervention and close coordination between various authorities ensured the smooth departure of the pilgrims.

A heartfelt and prayer-filled send-off ceremony was held at the Haj House, Srinagar. Dignitaries who participated in the ceremony included the Chairperson, Haj Committee UT Ladakh, Mohd Ali Majaz; Member, Haj Committee UT Ladakh, Haji Nazir Ahmad; Members of the Haj Committee UT Ladakh; Mirza Hussain, Councilor; Executive Officer, JK Haj Committee, Dr. Shujat Ahmad; Haj Officer, Haj Committee UT Ladakh, Haji Ali; along with other officials and staff members.

During the event, the Chairperson, Haj Committee UT Ladakh, extended his heartfelt gratitude to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Minister of Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Lt. Governor, UT Ladakh, Brig. (Dr.) BD Mishra; Consul General of India, Jeddah, Mr. F.A. Khan Suri; CEO, Haj Committee of India Mumbai, Shahnavas C; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Shahnavas C; Deputy Commissioners/CEOs, LAHDC Kargil and Leh; Superintendent of Police, Traffic Kashmir/Ladakh; Executive Officer (Nodal Officer Embarkation Point), JK Haj Committee Srinagar, and all other stakeholders for their timely intervention and support in arranging the additional flights.

Gratitude was also extended to the teams of the Airports Authority of India, Srinagar; National Security Force; JK Police; JK Home Guard; Health Departments of JK and Ladakh UT; SpiceJet Airlines; JK SRTC; and the staff of the JK Haj Committee, Srinagar, for their seamless logistical support extended to the Ladakhi Haj pilgrims.

The pilgrims from Ladakh expressed their deep appreciation to the Chairperson and all concerned officials for their prompt and compassionate response, which ensured the timely departure and comfort of the pilgrims.