AOT to Open The Service Center For Haj Pilgrims

The Airports of Thailand (AOT) opened a service center to serve pilgrims on their journeys to perform Haj this year at  Suvarnabhumi Airport at the hall on the 4th floor of the departure terminal. There will be supporting personnel to serve all departing flights as well as car parking for pilgrims and their relatives. This year over 6,000 travelers are expected to leave for the Haj.

Mr. Nirun Teeranatsin, Director of AOT, opened of Service Center for the Haj pilgrims to Mecca or Makkah, Saudi Arabia on the 4th floor of the departure terminal. The service starts from 18 October 2009.

6,205 pilgrims are expected to access the AOT services, or an average of 200 people a day. The number is higher than last year with about 2,000 pilgrims using 62 flights.

To accommodate the pilgrims and their relatives, AOT has arranged facilities such as prayer rooms, recreation areas and personnel to facilitate the travel procedure.

The Director added that for Haj this year, pilgrims will depart from Suvarnabhumi Airport from 18 October to 25 November 2009 and will be back from Makkah during 30 November 2009 – 1 January 2010.

The Haj is considered the culmination of each Muslim’s religious duties and aspirations. Muslims from all over the world seek to make the Haj to the Holy City of Makkah, which occurs between the eighth and thirteenth days of the last month of the Islamic calendar – Dhu’l-Hijjah – of each year. Muslims travel thousands of miles to reach the Holy City of Makkah for the Haj and perform the rituals in the same manner as the Prophet Muhammad almost fourteen centuries ago.

Source: Bangkok, 16 October 2009 (NNT)