On April 18, 82 Uzbek citizens returning from Saudi Arabia via Turkey were stranded at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul. This was reported by the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Istanbul. The citizens had used the services of private travel agencies "Ihlos Travel" and "Hikmat Travel," planning to perform the Umrah pilgrimage via the Riyadh-Istanbul-Shymkent-Tashkent route. However, as the consulate emphasized, due to the parties' failure to adequately fulfill their obligations, the compatriots found themselves in a difficult situation abroad.

Passengers described their harsh conditions. One elderly traveler stated, "We came from Riyadh in 15 hours. Now we are sitting in Turkey. They say we are going to Shymkent. [The flight] Redirect it to Tashkent, we are suffering." Another passenger added, "There are sick people among us. All the elderly are sitting in confusion. Redirect our flight, if possible, not to Shymkent but to Tashkent." This incident exposed serious deficiencies in service provision by the travel agencies.

The consulate noted that negotiations were held with responsible officials of relevant authorities to resolve the situation, and discussions were conducted with staff of the aforementioned firms. As a result, the citizens were provided with food, transport, and other necessary goods and services during their temporary stay in the transit area. The work to safely repatriate the pilgrims along the agreed route was carried out under full supervision.

The Consulate General recommended that citizens and firms offering tourist services strictly adhere to regulations to prevent similar cases in the future. This incident recalls a report in September when 50 Uzbeks in Mecca were left without return flight tickets, highlighting recurring issues in the tourism sector. The situation has once again raised concerns about safety and service quality for Uzbek travelers, underscoring the need for improved oversight and accountability in travel arrangements.

Source: www.gazeta.uz