According to Travelport’s global trends in flight bookings for Hajj 2019, Indians with a total of 44,611 advanced bookings to the holy city of Mecca formed the second-highest number worldwide of pilgrims performing hajj this year and the highest in Asia.
Egypt recorded the maximum number of flight bookings globally through a GDS out of any country this year (49,477).As per the report advanced flight bookings to airports around the have increased from Asia, Europe and Oceania. Data analysed by Travelport showed that Asia recorded the greatest growth in flight bookings made through GDS to airports around Mecca this year in terms of volume, with bookings up by 11,284 (+5%). These analysed findings are based on bookings made through all global distribution systems (GDS) channels to King Abdulaziz International Airport, Ta’if Regional Airport and Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport till last week of July and arriving from July 9 till Thursday.
On a country level, the greatest growth came from Bangladesh, with bookings up by +171% (13,906).
The figures made by Travelport are based on GDS data derived from Marketing Information Data Transfer (MIDT) figures, the reservation network used by travel agents, travel management companies, websites and others to search and book airline seats,but it will exclude tickets booked directly with some airlines, as well as private chartered flights.
