Despite success of this year's Haj season, the pilgrims' return trip has surfaced as a problem once again because of the failure on the part of airline and shipping companies to meet the requirements of the Kingdom of having all the Haj pilgrims out of the country by a certain date. In fact the crowds of stranded pilgrims in the Haj terminals and Sea City adjacent to Jeddah Islamic Seaport have caused problems in terminals. Sameer Mira Supervisor of the Special Operations at the King Abdul Aziz Airport attributed the crowds of pilgrims in the airport to the non compliance of airline companies with the return schedules specified in the pilgrims' tickets. A group of Algerian pilgrims were supposed to leave the Kingdom Tuesday night but their flight was delayed. Instead they were offered a hotel to stay in. However they declined the offer because they were also told that the plane could arrive at any moment making them believe they would miss their flight. Algerian pilgrims Shubail Al-Mokhi, Jouvair, Hasan and Muhammed said they had performed the Haj rituals with ease and comfort thanks to the preparations and arrangements made by the government, however the flight delay made them suffer at the end of an easy trip. Yemeni and Sudanese pilgrims did not fare much better because they were stranded over 34 hours in the Haj terminal. They said amongst the people who were also stranded were elderly and sick people who physically cannot wait for so many hours a day. Sami Badr Director of Haj and Umrah Terminals said they are working according to an integrated plan and program under which they run 200 to 220 flights a day carrying about 50,000 pilgrims. “When flights are delayed for any reason we immediately contact the head of the Haj mission in order to find out why. In such a case we order them to take the stranded pilgrims to a hotel at the expense of their country's airline until their plane arrives.” Abdullah Muhammed Marghlani Director General of the Haj Ministry branch in Jeddah said the branch monitors the movement and departure of the pilgrims around-the-clock and also their field inspectors monitor and record all reported complaints and problems pilgrims have. About the delay of some flights, Marghlani said they mainly stem from the pressure on the planes' parking areas in the airport as well as the difference in international timing stressing that the ministry makes all possible efforts to solve these problems to help pilgrims to return home safely.
