India’s Ministry of Minority Affairs has successfully completed Lap-I of the air charter operations for Haj 2025, facilitating the departure of pilgrims from 18 designated embarkation points across the country. Over 120,000 pilgrims are undertaking the sacred journey this year, and air travel arrangements have been meticulously structured in two phases—Lap-I and Lap-II—to accommodate the massive number of travelers within a limited operational window.
Lap-I commenced on April 29, 2025, with flights departing from key airports including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Delhi, Gaya, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Srinagar. However, disruptions in air travel due to changing airspace conditions in northern India affected scheduled departures from Srinagar, beginning May 7, 2025.
Efforts were promptly undertaken to normalize flight operations, and as a result, 1,461 out of 3,356 scheduled pilgrims from Srinagar have successfully embarked on their pilgrimage. Authorities are actively coordinating revised flight schedules to ensure that the remaining pilgrims will depart by May 31, 2025, as part of Lap-II.
The second phase of air charter operations, Lap-II, commenced on May 10, 2025, and is currently facilitating pilgrim departures from Ahmedabad, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kannur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Srinagar.
The air charter operations are being executed in close collaboration with multiple government ministries, airport authorities, and airline operators to ensure seamless logistics. Medical facilities, assistance services, and other necessary arrangements are in place to provide pilgrims with a dignified and smooth departure experience.
The collective anticipation and devotion among travelers mark the culmination of months of preparation, as they set forth on their journey to perform the sacred Haj rites. With the successful conclusion of Lap-I and the ongoing execution of Lap-II, India continues its commitment to facilitating a well-organized and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage for thousands of devotees.
