Marking the commencement of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage season, the first group of 325 Sri Lankan pilgrims departed from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 1.
A ceremonial event was held at the airport’s departure terminal to mark the occasion, with the participation of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rizvie Salih, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani, and senior officials of the Sri Lanka Hajj Committee.
The group traveled on a special inaugural flight operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), with Flight SV-839 departing Katunayake at 9:05 p.m. en route to Jeddah.
For the 2026 Hajj season, a total of 3,500 Sri Lankan pilgrims have been selected. In addition to Saudia, pilgrims are also scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia via Qatar Airways.