Ahmedabad: A last-minute decision by the Haj Committee of India to increase this year’s airfare by Rs 10,000 per head nationwide has put unexpected financial pressure on pilgrims. The decision, which the committee attributes to rising fuel cost due to the West Asia crisis, has led to discontent among many Haj applicants. Former councillor Iqbal Shaikh has made a formal representation on the matter before the union minority affairs minister, Kiren Rijiju.“These charges have been imposed citing rising fuel costs despite no such provision in the tender agreement. The original contract reportedly fixed the airfare at about Rs 8,900 per pilgrim, inclusive of a 40kg baggage allowance. Gujarat is expected to send 8,904 pilgrims for Haj 2026, of whom around 7,000 will depart from Ahmedabad and 1,904 from Mumbai. The additional levy could translate into an estimated burden of nearly Rs 8.9 crore on pilgrims from the state alone,” Shaikh told TOI.Echoing these concerns, pilgrims and their families say the sudden hike has disrupted carefully planned finances and raised questions over fairness and transparency in the process.“Many of us booked nearly eight months ago, in Oct, and planned our finances accordingly, often opting for instalments as allowed by the govt. Now, just weeks before departure, we are being asked to pay an additional Rs 10,000. My parents, both in their sixties, are undertaking this once-in-a-lifetime journey, and for many families, Haj involves life savings,” said Shadab Ali Saiyed, a hospitality sector professional, calling the last-minute charges unfair.“Over the past week, pilgrims have received these messages about additional payments. If I book a flight today for travel in July and fares rise later, the airline cannot charge me retrospectively. Why should Haj pilgrims be treated differently then,” he added. Concerns also surround the reduction in baggage allowance from 40 kg to 35 kg, and alleged underutilization of aircraft capacity. While aircraft are said to have a capacity of about 187 passengers, only around 145 pilgrims are reportedly being accommodated per flight, leading to logistical strain.The issue is expected to intensify during return journeys, when pilgrims typically carry Zamzam water and other items. With reduced baggage limits, many may be forced to incur baggage charges ranging between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 a kg, according to the representations.A copy of the representation has also been marked to Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel as well as the state Haj Committee.
