The Prosecutor General's Office has issued an official statement announcing the initiation of criminal proceedings against officials of the private airline company Panorama Airways. This action stems from complications related to the Umrah pilgrimage that left several Uzbekistani citizens stranded abroad.
The Transport Prosecutor's Office is conducting an investigation into the private airline's failure to facilitate the return of Uzbek nationals from their Umrah journey and other serious violations of the law. Within the scope of the criminal case, a preventive measure in the form of “detention” has been applied to one individual.
To ensure the integrity of the investigation process, the Prosecutor General's Office has refrained from disclosing further details to prevent any obstruction of the pursuit of truth.
Previously, there were reports of several thousand Uzbekistanis left stranded in Saudi Arabia due to delays in Panorama Airways flights. After facing a series of operational issues, the airline updated its management staff and succeeded in returning over 3,000 passengers home between February 2-4. The Tourism Committee had issued a warning to travel agencies and made a public address to the pilgrims regarding the situation.
The Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Jeddah also confirmed that a large group of the travelers had been returned to Uzbekistan and assured that measures were being taken to repatriate the remaining citizens.
