The 2026 Hajj pilgrimage season commenced today (01) with the departure of the first group of 325 Sri Lankan pilgrims from Bandaranaike International Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A special ceremony was held at the airport’s departure terminal to mark the occasion, attended by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rizvie Salih, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani, and senior officials of the Sri Lanka Hajj Committee.
A special inaugural flight operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) departed Katunayake at 9:05 p.m. under flight SV-839, heading to Jeddah.
For the 2026 Hajj season, a total of 3,500 Sri Lankan pilgrims have been selected to perform the pilgrimage. In addition to Saudia, pilgrims are also scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia via Qatar Airways.
