Sri Lanka, May 1 -- Marking the commencement of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage season, the first group of 325 Sri Lankan pilgrims departed from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, today (01).

A ceremony was held at the airport departure terminal to mark the occasion, said Ada Derana reporter.

The event was attended by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rizvie Salih, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani, and senior officials of the Sri Lanka Hajj Committee.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) operated a special inaugural flight for the group. Flight SV-839 departed from Katunayake at 9:05 p.m. bound for Jeddah.

For the 2026 Hajj season, a total of 3,500 Sri Lankan pilgrims have...