The First All-Female Hajj Flight Leaves From Karipur

On Thursday, from Calicut International Airport in Karipur, John Barla, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, launched Kerala's first women-only Hajj plane.

Barla waved the ceremonial flag and handed out boarding passes for the inaugural flight.

The whole flight crew, including the pilot, is female, marking the first time this has been done in Kerala for the Hajj.

At 6:45 p.m. on October 19, an Air India Express flight from Karipur took off with the first group of women pilgrims without mahram or a male companion. Its passengers included 145 female pilgrims and 6 female employees.

Barla lauded the all-female flight as a victory for women's empowerment in the country and asked the pilgrims to pray for the peace, prosperity, and stability of the nation.

Besides the 145 female pilgrims, the journey was remarkable because all aspects of it—from dispatch to flight operation to loading to cleaning to engineering to ground service—were handled by women.

The Minister began handing out boarding cards by giving one to Sulaikha, the oldest team member at age 76.

The minister praised the efforts of the state's Hajj Committee in getting ready for the pilgrims. From now until Monday, eleven planes exclusively for female pilgrims will leave from Karipur airport.

There are a total of 1,595 women pilgrims in the "ladies without Mahram" category, and they will depart on various days in eleven separate planes.

Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the state has formed a Hajj Committee to accompany the pilgrims and make sure they have a safe and successful trip. At the Haj House, where he was meeting the Muslims before they left for Mecca, he made the announcement.

For the first time, Hajj pilgrims are setting sail from Vijayawada. The chief executive wished the pilgrims well and told them not to worry, as Deputy Chief Minister Amjad Basha was also travelling with them and would see to their requirements and keep him updated.

The Hajj is a religious pilgrimage that millions of Muslims make to Mecca each year to get closer to God, ask for forgiveness, and renew their commitment to Islam. For believers, this quest is of the utmost importance. People from all over the world have a deep yearning to take part in the Hajj ceremonies and to be among those who make the trip to Mina.

The Hajj is a remarkable display of Muslim togetherness, as Muslims from all over the world converge on Makkah to perform the rituals together.

People from all walks of life come together for a common objective, putting aside their differences and respecting one another as equals in Allah's eyes. It's a breathtaking scene, for sure.