KARACHI, Sept 20: With the first Haj flight due to take off on November 1, performing the pilgrimage for people of limited means this year will be next to impossible as the fares for Haj are hitting astronomical highs. Factor in the cost of accommodation, meals and other random expenses pilgrims will have to bear on their way to and in Saudi Arabia, and the figure becomes one way beyond the reach of the working as well as middle classes.
Various stakeholders Dawn talked to attribute the steep increase in Haj fares to the unique nature of the operation, as pre-Haj flights go full and come back nearly empty, while the situation is the opposite after the pilgrimage concludes. The fact that oil prices in the world’s markets hit record highs not too long ago before dipping below the $100 mark, has probably been the biggest contributor to the high fares.
However, a source involved in the aviation business for the past few decades claimed that it was due to the “monopoly” maintained by Saudi Arabian Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines over the Haj operation that fares were so high.
“In Haj, everything is 50 per cent. You go full and come back empty. You go empty and come back full. So you have to bear this in mind. It is an unusual operation. That’s why the Haj fare will always be more than the normal fare when a flight goes and brings back passengers. There is no two-way traffic. The price of Haj has also gone up because of fuel prices,” Captain Aijaz Haroon, Managing Director of PIA, told Dawn in a recent interview.
Mahmood Masood Khan, general manager of a Clifton-based travel agency that specializes in Haj and Umra packages, corroborated the PIA head’s claim.
“During the Haj season, airlines operate ferry flights. They are empty on one sector. They are different from scheduled flights. They are also referred to as ‘extra sections.’ These are operated pre- and post-Haj and during the Umra season. They go full from Pakistan and return with very little load. In fact, they return almost empty. You’re lucky if you have even 100 passengers. So the airlines do suffer losses.” He said that the government Haj fare is Rs70,000 without taxes. Taxes amount to around Rs10-12,000. He added that last year the Haj fare was around Rs38,000. According to him, the fare for private tour operators comes to around Rs96,000, including taxes.
Interestingly, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, the prime minister’s adviser for religious affairs, was quoted as saying at the Haj balloting held on Sept 17 in Islamabad that he would talk to the PIA administration to reduce Haj fares.
When Talat Wasim, the flag carrier’s general manager, public affairs, was asked to comment on any possible reduction in fares, she told Dawn that “the decision will be made by the ministry (of religious affairs). However, I do not think it is under consideration at the moment.”
Salman Hameed, another travel agent who deals in Haj and Umra flights, told Dawn that the off-season Karachi-Jeddah-Karachi fare is around Rs35,000. “The fares start shooting up during Ramazan. They are currently hovering around the Rs53,000 mark. However, it is during Haj that fares are at a record high.”
‘Plain monopoly’
A source formerly associated with PIA told Dawn that the Haj operation was a “plain and simple monopoly” as PIA’s fare for Haj was its most expensive out of any sector. However, he said it was due to the Saudi government’s restriction that PIA could not book passengers for its ferry flights pre and post-Haj. He said regional airlines, such as various Gulf-based carriers, were not interested in Haj as this operation was mostly sought after by charter operators.
Mr Khan told this reporter that there was not much difference between the fares of PIA and Saudia, the two operators that carry the bulk of pilgrims to and from Pakistan for Haj. “There is usually an agreement signed between Saudia and PIA to keep fares level. The difference is around Rs500 to Rs1,000. This agreement is made to protect national carriers. Not just PIA but nearly all national carriers sign similar agreements with the Saudis.
“Most pilgrims prefer Saudia or PIA because of the direct flights between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They don’t like the idea of changing planes in a third country. Besides, Saudia also operates two weekly flights to Madina. Connecting flights don’t really reduce the cost factor by much anyway,” he claimed.
Lodging and food
With just the fare costing between Rs80,000 to Rs100,000, lodging expenses in Makkah and Madina along with the cost of meals pushes up the cost of the Haj package to over Rs200,000 at the lower end, while it can shoot up to exorbitant levels depending on the type of accommodation and facilities required by the pilgrims.
“The government’s package is lower as it owns buildings in the holy cities. However, it does not provide pilgrims meals. Tour operators have to select their own buildings. People choose from three-star to five-star accommodations. The building has to be booked almost a year in advance. Operators often have to pay as much as 100,000 Saudi Riyals (around Rs2 million) up front,” Mr Khan said when queried about the total cost of the Haj package.
While various factors have pushed the pilgrimage – a rite all Muslims of sound means are required to fulfil at least once in their lives – firmly out of the reach of most average Pakistanis, those with deep pockets, however, face no such problems.
A local travel agent told this reporter that a single Islamabad-based pilgrim booked a Haj package that cost over Rs800,000. Apart from first-class travel and five-star accommodation, the gentleman required a personal toilet and sports utility vehicle to be waiting for him at Jeddah airport upon landing to ferry him to and from the pilgrimage sites.
According to travel agents, the pre-Haj operation begins on Nov 1 and winds up on December 4, while the post-Haj operation starts on Dec 12 and wraps up on January 12, 2009.
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