His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, graced the occasion as the Chief guest. Secretary Religious Affairs and COO/APM Islamabad Airport welcomed the chief guest. Other notable attendees included the Joint Secretary of Hajj, the Deputy Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Force, the Chief Security Officer of the Airport Security Force, and the Director of Hajj.
Saudi Ambassador along with the Secretary of Religious Affairs got a briefing from Saudi immigration officials about the operational arrangements of the Road to Mecca project. They expressed their satisfaction with the overall arrangements. In this regard, CAA IIAP extended full support/associated facilities for the successful conduct of Hajj flight operations.
The inaugural flight, designated PK-717, was bound for Medina from Islamabad. Its scheduled departure time (STD) was 1910 hours, with actual departure (ATD) at 1915 hours.
The flight carried a total of 414 pilgrims (Hujjaj).
During the boarding process, the Chief Guest extended felicitations to the Hujjaj e Kiram, offering congratulations and distributing copies of the Holy Quran as a gesture of goodwill and blessing.