KOLKATA: The first batch of 652 Haj pilgrims flew out of Kolkata airport in two Fly-a-deal aircrafts to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. State ministers Firhad Hakim, Snehasis Chakraborty, Tajmul Hussain and state Haj Committee chairperson and Rajya Sabha MP Nadim Ul Haq were at the airport to flag off the first morning flight.
This year, around 17,000 pilgrims including 10,935 persons from Bengal will fly to Saudi Arabia from the airport in 55 flights. On Monday, as well, 621 pilgrims flew out of the airport.
Pilgrims from six states including Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand are travelling to Mecca and Medina this year from the Kolkata airport. Among the Bengal districts, North 24 parganas have the maximum number of participants with 1507 pilgrims. The pilgrims will start returning from the first week of July.
