UMRAH COMPANIES REARRANGE FLIGHTS, BEAR ADDITIONAL COSTS AFTER DELAYS

By Sakini Mohd Said & Ummu Khalidah Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) -- Several umrah operators have swiftly rearranged travel schedules and changed the return flights of pilgrims stranded in Madinah and Jeddah following delays due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Tiram Travel Sdn Bhd said the flight changes were made following negotiations with several airlines still in operation, and the first group of stranded pilgrims is expected to depart for Malaysia tomorrow.

“As of now, 80 pilgrims under our management are stranded in Jeddah and Madinah. Their flights, which were supposed to be operated by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and scheduled to depart yesterday, have been changed to AirAsia.

“The departure time and the number of pilgrims leaving tomorrow have yet to be determined. Everything depends on AirAsia’s flight schedule and seat availability,” a company representative who declined to be named told Bernama.

The representative said the company is bearing the cost of the new tickets, and discussions on refunds for the original MAS tickets will be held later.

“Our priority now is to ensure that all pilgrims can return home safely and as soon as possible,” the representative added.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Rokin Ahmad Suhimi from Mutawwif Dhia Travel Sdn Bhd said the company’s headquarters is negotiating with several airlines offering direct flights without transit.

He said the original flight involved a transit in Dubai, but Dubai International Airport Terminal 3, which was supposed to be the transit point, was affected following a security incident.

“The company is now negotiating with the original airline, flydubai, as well as several other airlines that are still operating flights to Jeddah, including Saudia Airlines and AirAsia.

“If there are seats available and the airspace is confirmed safe, we hope to fly all pilgrims home on direct flights without transit,” he said.

He said 150 pilgrims from the company’s second and third groups are currently stranded in Madinah after their flights, which were scheduled to depart in stages starting last Sunday, were cancelled.

Ahmad Rokin said Dhia Travel has taken the initiative to bear all additional costs, including accommodation, meals and land transport, to safeguard the welfare of the pilgrims.

“The company is not negotiating with pilgrims to impose any additional charges. Our discussions with airlines are solely to change the original tickets to alternative flights without incurring additional costs for the pilgrims,” he said.

He added that the pilgrims are calm and in good spirits, utilising the additional time to devote themselves to worship at Masjid Nabawi.

Meanwhile, the founder of Umrah4Ladies and board director of MK Haramain Travel & Tours, Nursyafiqah Zamani, said her team immediately activated coordination measures upon receiving notification of flight schedule changes from Malaysia Airlines.

A total of 33 Umrah4Ladies Malaysian female pilgrims are currently in Madinah, and are being looked after by mutawwif (religious tour guides) and the Haramain operations team in Saudi Arabia.

“They were supposed to return on Feb 28, but due to the conflict in the Middle East, our flight had to be cancelled, and there is still no exact date for the next flight.

“However, the airline agency has provided additional accommodation for the stranded pilgrims, while we are handling logistics, including transportation and communication,” she said.

Nursyafiqah said initial concerns among the pilgrims were alleviated through the support provided by the mutawwif and the ground team.

One of the pilgrims, Nurul Izati Ishak, 33, said they are safe and hope the conflict will subside soon so that all pilgrims can return home.

“We were shocked and worried. One of my roommates became emotionally distressed from overthinking the situation. However, we are looking at this from a positive perspective.

“Under the original schedule, we were supposed to spend only five days in Madinah, but now we have more time for worship, and we believe there is wisdom behind this,” she said.

-- BERNAMA