First Haj flight to take off from Varanasi's Babatpur Airport on September 7

The first flight carrying Haj pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh to Saudi Arabia will fly from the Babatpur Airport in Varanasi on September 7, officials said on Friday.

Subsequent flights will take off from Lucknow and New Delhi on September 9.

The chairman of the Uttar Pradesh state Haj committee and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan has asked the Hajis to make preparations for the pilgrimage as per guidelines.

He has also urged the pilgrims to plan their journey such that they reach the Haj house in Lucknow 48 hours in advance of the onward flight.

Haj pilgrims from Sultanpur, Balrampur, Gonda, Shahjahanpur, Kannauj, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Barabani, Etawah and 21 other districts will take their Haj flight from Lucknow, while pilgrims from other districts have been marked for New Delhi and Varanasi.