Saudi civil aviation authorities refuse landing of Algerian planes at Jeddah and Medina airports

The Saudi civil aviation authorities have refused to authorize the landing of Algerian planes carrying Algerian Hadjis (pilgrims) at the airports of Djeddah and Medina, triggering a simmering crisis which could compromise the annual pilgrimage to the holy places of Islam for the 36 thousand Algerian pilgrims starting from November 2nd 2009.  

• The Saudi refusal comes in the wake of the decision by the Algerian airline company “Air Algérie” to authorize flights to Saudi Arabia from inland cities of the country notably Chlef, Tebessa, Jijel, Laghouat and Béjaia on small planes having only a 150 – seat capacity.
• According to convergent sources, these small planes have reduced flight autonomy and should make stopovers for refueling in Libya or Tunisia before landing in Saudi Arabia.
• The same sources added that these planes should fulfill 3 daily flights instead of just one if “Air Algérie” had taken the required measures by  notably scheduling bigger planes for the transport of the Algerian Hadjis.
• The Saudi authorities argued that the airports of Djeddah and Medina were already overcrowded and could not thereby receive more than 3 daily flights from Algeria.
• The other sticking point is that “Air Algérie” issued its flights schedule for the transport of the Algerian pilgrims only 5 days before the start of the operation contrary to the previous years where such a schedule was available 15 days in advance so as to ward off any damaging constraint for its customers.
• Furthermore, only 77 flights out of the 108 scheduled by “Air Algérie” for the transport of the pilgrims have already received the confirmation on the part of the Saudis while the rest is still held in abeyance on account of a lack of concertation and  a prior agreement between the 2 sides.
• Observers note that this untoward situation could jeopardize the 2009 pilgrimage for thousands of Algerian Hadjis if a remedial solution is not thrashed out shortly by the highest authorities of the 2 countries.
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