Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On the night of 3 to 4 June at 02:00 local time, the first flight of Uzbekistan Airways with 240 pilgrims on board took off from Tashkent to Medina (Saudi Arabia), thus opening the Hajj season 2023.

From 4 to 19 June, flights from 10 cities of Uzbekistan will be operated to Medina. This year, the largest number of pilgrims will go on Hajj from Tashkent - 16 flights will carry 5,575 passengers. 14 flights will depart from Namangan, 6 from Ferghana, 4 from Samarkand, 3 flights each from Bukhara, Urgench, Karshi and Termez, as well as 2 flights with pilgrims will depart from Navoi and 1 flight from Nukus. In total, 15,130 pilgrims will perform the Hajj from Uzbekistan.

This year, by the beginning of the Hajj, additional conditions and amenities have been created in the air harbor of the capital - two chapels, male and female, are opened in the sterile zone of the departure hall, each of which simultaneously accommodates 80 and 60 people, respectively. Also, in front of the chapels, there are now special rooms for ablution - also for men and women. At the same time, a large block of bathrooms was put into operation.

It should be noted that for the duration of these flights, traffic on the overpass will be temporarily limited at the airport of the capital, and access to the terminal will be only for passengers. The Muslim Board of Uzbekistan also recommended that relatives of the pilgrims not come to the airport in order to avoid a collapse in the terminal and on the forecourt, but to see off their relatives in mosques. 

Pilgrims will arrive at the airport on special buses in an organized manner, check in and go to the departure area, where a sufficient number of seats are installed, and while waiting for boarding, pilgrims will be offered drinks and snacks.