Haj Pilgrims Forced to Pay Extra ₹10,000 as Airfare Hikes Amid Middle East Crisis

New Delhi- In a move that has sparked widespread outrage, the Haj Committee of India has demanded an additional ₹10,000 from each Haj 2026 pilgrim as “differential airfare,” prompting AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi to accuse the government of exploiting devout Muslims who have saved for years to undertake the sacred pilgrimage.

The central Haj body issued a circular on April 28, citing “extraordinary circumstances arising out of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East” as the reason for the one-time fare revision.

Taking to social media, Owaisi launched a sharp attack on the government, tagging Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.

“The Haj Committee is demanding an additional ₹10,000 from Haj pilgrims as ‘differential airfare.’ This is despite collecting ₹90,844 per pilgrim a couple of months ago from the Mumbai Embarkation Point. This is almost DOUBLE the prevalent rates for individual travellers,” Owaisi wrote.

He questioned: “Are pilgrims being punished for going through the Haj Committee? This is just exploitation and nothing else. Most pilgrims are not wealthy, they save money for years to be able to go to Haj. This is not a luxury for them.”

The AIMIM chief demanded that the circular be “withdrawn immediately” and that pilgrims be refunded the money taken from them.

According to the latest circular issued by Haj Committee CEO Shahnawas C, the Ministry of Minority Affairs approved the fare revision after airlines sought an increase of over USD 400 (approximately ₹34,000) per pilgrim . The airlines cited the sharp spike in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices triggered by the ongoing West Asian crisis.

After negotiations, the government approved a reduced additional burden of USD 100 (approx. ₹8,300) per pilgrim, rounded off to ₹10,000 . The hike applies to all pilgrims regardless of their embarkation point.

“The revised airfare entails an additional amount of USD 100 per pilgrim, irrespective of embarkation point, to be borne by the pilgrims,” the circular stated.

Pilgrims have been given until May 15, to deposit the amount . The payment can be made through:

• Online: E-payment facility on https://hajcommittee.gov.in or the Haj Suvidha App using credit/debit cards or net banking

• Offline: Specified pay-in-slip at any branch of the State Bank of India or Union Bank of India

The unique Bank Reference Number provided for each Cover must be mentioned in the deposit receipt.

The sudden hike has triggered strong resentment, with Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind staging a protest in Nagpur. A delegation visited the Divisional Commissioner’s office to submit their objections.

Jamiat Ulema District Nagpur general secretary Atique Qureshi termed the hike “unjustified and condemnable” . He pointed out that airfare agreements between the Haj Committee and airlines are typically finalized 6-7 months in advance, making the sudden increase inappropriate.

Qureshi highlighted that many pilgrims are accompanied by four to five family members, meaning the additional ₹10,000 per person has significantly increased the overall financial burden on families.

The organization has urged the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Haj Committee of India to reconsider the decision and provide immediate relief to pilgrims.