OREANDA-NEWS. June 19, 2015. Emirates, a global connector of people, places and experiences will be stepping up its Ramadan offerings to passengers and its flight offerings for Umrah. The airline will operate 42 additional flights, serviced by the Boeing 777, between Dubai and Jeddah from 18 June to 23 July. From 24 July to 15 August, Emirates will operate an additional 11 flights to Jeddah.

Emirates’ additional flight offerings will help accommodate the two million visitors expected to travel to Mecca during the Holy Month this year. These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah, operated by a mix of A380s and Boeing 777 aircraft. The additional services can be accessed by travellers holding a valid Umrah visa, except for GCC nationals.

Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Centre said: “Travelling for Umrah during the Holy Month of Ramadan is a unique experience for Muslims around the world. With a sizeable increase in the demand for air travel during Ramadan, Emirates is helping to make the journey more seamless for the scores of pilgrims looking to travel during this time.”

In addition to the Umrah flights, Emirates is introducing an extra baggage incentive during the Holy Month. Passengers in the UAE who travel on Emirates to select destinations in Africa and South and West Asia in Economy Class will receive up to 15 kilograms of additional checked baggage for both of their journeys. The offer is valid for travel between 15 June and 15 July 2015. Terms and conditions apply.

In addition, several initiatives will be in place on board and on the ground to ensure the well-being of Emirates’ customers who are fasting and travelling during the holy month of Ramadan.

In keeping with traditions and values of the Holy Month, Emirates will be offering a special Iftar meal service. For flights departing close to Iftar, Emirates will provide small snack boxes at the boarding gates of Emirates Terminal 3, while large Iftar meal boxes will be served to passengers in-flight. The large Iftar meal box, designed by Emirates’ chefs, will be served in Economy class, with a similar selection served to fasting Business Class and First Class passengers.

Non-fasting passengers travelling on Jeddah, Medina and  Umrah flights will receive a cold meal instead of the regular hot meal for all flights taking off after sunrise and before sunset, to respect the many Muslim passengers completing Umrah on these flights.

Emirates also utilises a unique tool to calculate the correct timings for Imsak (the time to commence fasting) and Iftar while in-flight. The tool allows Emirates to calculate the exact Ramadan timings using the aircraft’s longitude, latitude and altitude; ensuring the greatest level of accuracy possible while onboard. When the sun sets, passengers will be informed of the Iftar time by the captain. This tool was developed to supplement Emirates’ annually produced booklet on the timings for Ramadan, available on every flight.

During the holy month of Ramadan, Emirates’ award-winning ice system will feature 29 new Arabic movies and popular TV shows like Helwe w Kazebe, Al Ekhwa and Bint Al Shabahandar. These are in addition to 41 Arabic movies, 18 Arabic channels of TV programming, and the Holy Quran channel.