KARACHI - The PIA has finalised arrangement for travel of over 126,000 pilgrims to Jeddah and Madinah and flights starting from Oct 21 will continue till Nov 21 for performing of Hajj-1430 AH. The return journey of the Hajis by PIA will begin on Dec 2 this year and will continue till Jan 1, 2010. For the first time PIA Passenger Services Department has formulated and prescribed 'Hajj Service Manual under the guidance of Deputy Managing Director Salim Sayani and incorporates the minutest detail for making the holy pilgrimage smooth for the intending Hajis from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia. PIA Managing Director Capt Aijaz Haroon signed the first copy of the manual to make it a prescribed reference document for future Hajj arrangement as well at the Hajj Conference held at the PIA Training Centre Auditorium participated by the operational heads and the team leaders from all PIA stations operating hajj flights both from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. General Manager Passenger Services Aijaz Mazhar has been appointed at the Chief Coordinator of the Hajj Committee according to Hajj Services Manual. While PIA will also establish a Central Hajj Desk Situation Room and activate the Emergency Response Center at Karachi which will be online round the clock with the Situation Room and Emergency Response Centre to be established at Jeddah for overseeing and information services regarding the Hajj operations from nine stations in Pakistan and 2 stations in Saudi Arabia. PIA will operate 259 flights carrying more than 111,000 hajj pilgrims to Jeddah and 32 flights carrying nearly 15,000 to Madinah. This year Sialkot station has been added as a new station for direct flights to Jeddah. The interactive Hajj Conference for the operational functionaries of PIA was addressed by the Managing Director Capt. Aijaz Haroon. He said that all functionaries designated for Hajj duties must remain vigilant and provide services to the pilgrims with humility and religious fervour and leave no effort to make the pilgrimage of intending hajis by the national flag carrier comfortable and safe. The services by PIA this year may be carried out in such strength of mind that each pilgrim while performing their holy duty may also pray for the progress and prosperity of the national airline. Capt Aijaz Haroon said that although Hajj duties for the PIA functionaries are not at all new but the staff being posted at the Jeddah Airport will have to be extra efficient as the Hajj Terminal at Jeddah is still under renovation and may have capacity problems.