New Delhi, (IANS) : Budget carrier SpiceJet on Thursday said its first Hajj flight took off from Gaya in Bihar with 135 passengers on board.

Special flights for more than 8,000 pilgrims for the grand annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia from the Bihar city and Indore in Madhya Pradesh has been arranged, the airline said.

It has deployed two Airbus 320s to ferry pilgrims from Gaya and Indore.

“The flights will be operated from the two Indian cities to Jeddah and Madina between August 4 and September 3,” an airline statement said.

“Hajj is a lifetime experience and SpiceJet will make every effort to ensure a hassle-free and delightful travel experience for all its passengers by delivering on on-time performance and critical etiquettes, ensuring absolute passenger satisfaction,” said G.P. Gupta, Chief Administrative Officer and Accountable Manager, SpiceJet.

The return journey for the pilgrims to Gaya is scheduled from September 21 and to Indore from October 1. The whole affair is expected to wind up by October 20.