LAHORE — Over 300 Umrah pilgrims have spent three nights in a Lahore hotel after their scheduled flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, fell through. The private foreign airline issued boarding passes to the group before announcing the cancellation on Wednesday, according to passengers.

One pilgrim described the chaos at Allama Iqbal International Airport. “We were at the gate, ready to board, when officials told us the plane had a technical problem,” the passenger said. Airport staff then bused the group to a nearby hotel with promises of a departure the next morning. That flight never materialized.

The pilgrims, many already in white ihram garments for the sacred journey, face mounting frustration. Their hotels in Makkah and Madinah sit empty, bookings paid in advance. Each ticket cost hundreds of thousands of rupees, passengers said, yet airline management has offered no firm rescheduling date.

“Three days have passed with vague assurances,” another traveler told reporters outside the hotel. “We demand they send us to Jeddah immediately.” The group has refused to leave the premises until a solution emerges.

Civil Aviation Authority officials in Lahore confirmed they are investigating the incident. The airline has not publicly responded to requests for comment. Similar disruptions have hit Umrah travel before, often tied to aircraft maintenance issues during peak pilgrimage seasons.

Pakistan sees thousands of Umrah pilgrims depart monthly from Lahore and Islamabad. This stranding disrupts not just travel plans but religious obligations, as many aimed to perform rituals during a specific window. Families back home wait anxiously for updates.

Hotel staff report the pilgrims receive basic meals, but tensions rise as cash runs low. Some have contacted travel agents who arranged the packages, seeking refunds or alternatives. No other airline has stepped in to accommodate the full group.

As of Friday evening, the airline told a small delegation of passengers that a replacement flight might depart Saturday. Skepticism runs high after repeated delays. The authority urged the carrier to prioritize the matter, citing passenger rights under aviation rules.

For these pilgrims, the unexpected halt turns a spiritual voyage into a test of patience. They gathered Friday for prayers, voices united in calls for swift action.