Tripoli, 9 October:
The first flights carrying Libyans heading . . .[restrict]to Mecca for this year’s Haj pilgrimage departed from Tripoli today.
Three Afriqiyah Airways aircraft flew out of the city’s downtown Mitiga airport today for Jeddah. The airline says it will be oeprating three more every day for the next few days. Flights from Misrata, Abraq, Sabha and Benghazi are also scheduled as of tomorrow.
Some 8,500 Libya pilgrims are expected to take part in this year’s Haj — a higher figure than would normally be expected. Saudi Arabia limits the number for Muslim countries to a thousand per million population. However, this year Libya requested and was granted an additional 2,500 places.
Some 1,500 places have been reserved for families of martyrs. They were chosen by lottery and are travelling at full government cost.
The government is also paying a quarter of the costs of all the other pilgrims.
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