Despite high airfares this time of the year, many expatriates and locals are still traveling abroad for their Eid Al-Fitr holidays. As a result airports across the Kingdom have experienced a huge rush of travelers over the last ten days of Ramadan. King Fahd International Airport in Dammam has seen a huge exodus of expatriates who are going home to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr. Foreign airline sources said that the rush has been high compared to last year. High airfares have not reduced the number of holidaymakers traveling abroad. Airlines operating from Dammam to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, Sudan and Lebanon – the most in-demand destinations during Eid holidays – have hiked fares by 20 percent. M. Abdul Aziz, a long-time Indian expatriate, who has spent 34 years in the Kingdom, told Saudi Gazette on Friday before boarding the Emirates flight to Calicut via Dubai that he always goes back home to celebrate Eid with his family. He is excited to meet his children. Muthaher Hussain, who was leaving for Dhaka, said he got his seat reserved about two months ago and is very happy he will be spending Eid with his family. Sajitha Asif, another expatriate passenger, who had been waiting a long time at the airport, said: “I was asked by the airline to report at the check-in counter at least three hours before departure, but hundreds of people were already waiting here.” While expatriates are traveling to spend the Eid holidays with family and relatives back home, Saudi nationals are traveling to tourist destinations. Meanwhile, King Fahd International Airport has urged passengers to strictly adhere to guidelines related to airport access and baggage. New notice boards are fixed at the screening machines reading “Entry for passengers only”. “Overweight baggage is a safety concern for our baggage handlers, hence passengers should try to ensure the weight of their baggage is within the limits,” said an official at the check-in counter of Emirates airlines. Passengers with overweight baggage will ivariably be asked to repack. In line with international guidelines, no individual piece of baggage exceeding 30 kg will be accepted. In addition all checked baggage must be screened by X-Ray machines at the entry point to the departures terminal. Individual pieces of hand baggage must not exceed seven kilograms, although at times a concession of one or two kilograms is allowed. Any liquids, gels or aerosols carried in hand baggage must be in bottles of no more than 100 milliliters each, otherwise these will be confiscated at the security checkpoint. Passengers are also advised to seal these items in transparent plastic bags measuring no more than 20-by-20 cm before placing them in their hand baggage, the official added. Passengers are also strongly advised to arrive at the airport well in advance of their departure time.
