Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board chairman Shoukat Mohamed Khan and Bhopal’s Member of Parliament (MP) Alok Sanjar in letters to the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Union Aviation Minister demanded aerobridge facility for the Haj pilgrims at Raja Bhoj airport of the State Capital.
Khan in his letter to DGCA requested to start the aerobridge facility for the Haj pilgrims departing from Bhopal. “Raja Bhoj Airport is well equipped and modern airport but presently it the facility of aerobridge is not operational here. Though, the aerobridge has been installed here since long. Hence it is requested to start this facility before the commencement of Haj flights,” Khan said.
Khan further said that providing this facility to the pilgrims boarding direct flight for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from here would be highly laudable. Sanjar in his letter told the union aviation minister that Bhopal is sending pilgrims directly to Saudi Arabia since 2010 and the airport here is well equipped and modern but it lacks the facility of aerobridge. The fact is that the aerobridge has been installed at this airport since long but is not operational, hence it is requested to start this service so that the pilgrims could take advantage of this facility, he added.
Sanjar further said that the Haj flights from Raja Bhoj airport would start from September 17 and there would be a flight daily from here till September 21. About 1500 pilgrims would depart during this period from here to perform the pilgrimage. Hence, instruct the authorities concern to start the aerobridge facility before the commencement of Haj flights from this airport, he added.
Notably, the first flight from the State capital carrying 240 persons would fly on September 17, while the last flight from Bhopal would be on September 21, in between September 17 and 21, daily a flight carrying 240 pilgrims would leave the state capital.