Mangaluru: Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) has not been designated as an embarkation point for this year’s Haj pilgrimage, despite being one of the best options for Haj travel. The reason being that it was not preferred by enough pilgrims, said A P Abdullakutty, former chairman of the Central Haj Committee.Health screening for 1,363 pilgrims from Dakshina Kannada embarking on Haj pilgrimage began on Friday as part of the mandatory pre-departure procedure. Since 2010, MIA was an embarkation point for Haj pilgrims. This arrangement was stopped during the pandemic in 2020 and has never resumed ever since. As an embarkation point, MIA saw Haj pilgrims from Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, and Chikkamagaluru districts travelling through it. Over the last four years, several requests were made to the Central Haj Committee, but those remained unanswered. In 2019, when Haj pilgrims used this airport for the last time, 1,400 had travelled to Saudi Arabia from MIA. Abdullakutty told TOI that in 2023, Haj applicants from MIA had dwindled to fewer than 200. As a result, airlines did not show interest in operating special flights, with majority of Haj passengers opting to fly from either Bengaluru or Kannur. “The central govt is ready to consider MIA as an embarkation point, provided there are good passenger numbers,” he added. One of the officials from Mangaluru, associated with Haj pilgrimage, said: “The main reason is cost. Choosing Bengaluru as an embarkation point saves about Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 in airfare for each pilgrim. If the cost is lowered, MIA will be a good option.”
