PAL offers special Saudi Arabia flights

MANILA, Philippines – Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is offering special flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next month to cater to those taking part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

In a statement, PAL said the special flights would run from Aug. 15 to 24.

The special flights , utilizing the Airbus A330, will depart Manila and fly non-stop to Medina in Saudi Arabia. From Medina, the pilgrims will then go to Mecca which is Islam’s holiest city.

PAL decided to operate the special flights to Mecca as it expects Muslims from the Philippines to take part in the Hajj or yearly Islamic pilgrimage.

The Hajj is a mandatory religious duty that must be carried out by all adult Muslims at least once in one’s lifetime.

PAL expects majority of the passengers taking the special flights to come from Southern Philippines.

“We are heeding the clamor of our Muslim brothers and sisters for a convenient link to a destination in the Middle East which will serve as their gateway to Mecca.

PAL looks forward to be their official carrier as they fulfill this annual religious tradition,” PAL president and CEO Jaime Bautista said.

For Pilgrims who wish to return to Manila via PAL, they will need to travel from Mecca to Jeddah first, and then take the Jeddah-Dubai-Manila route.

The national carrier currently  operates flights to over 40 international destinations and 30 domestic points.

PAL which currently has a three-star rating, wants to achieve a five-star rating in five years.