In Sýnar’s evening news you could see pictures from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, but with the Atlanta airline, the pilgrimage flight started on April 16. At the headquarters in Kópavogur, people say that the conflict has not had any effect on the project so far.
“At the moment, no. It has not had any effect. But of course we monitor the situation from day to day. But it is very important for Saudi Arabia and for the nation, Saudi Arabia, that the pilgrimage flights keep steam. And it has,” says Magnús Sigurðsson, director of Air Atlanta’s flight operations.
Air Atlanta’s planes are branded Saudi Airlines. But when passengers board, it becomes apparent that they are operated by Air Atlanta.
“We have four machines in full operation, Boeing 777s, which take more than 400 passengers on each flight,” says Magnús.
Atlanta’s planes are transporting Muslims to and from Saudi Arabia over a long distance, but the mission lasts until July 1st.
“We mostly fly in Indonesia, which is about a ten-hour flight. Then we have also flown to Thailand and Bangladesh in this pilgrimage flight,” Magnús says in the TV news, which can be seen here:
The pilgrimage soon after the founding of Atlanta forty years ago became one of the key aspects of the company’s operations. And it still is.
“There are fewer machines than there were here in previous years. But nevertheless, this is always a big factor, a very big factor in our operation and very important.”
And the pilgrimage calls for a large number of employees.
“That’s between five and six hundred people in total. Apart from those who are naturally working here at the headquarters,” says Magnús.
Flugøjthóðin’s episode about the history of Icelandic pilgrimage is shown in an open program on Sýn at 19:15.
