Hajj Wet Lease Aircraft 2027: Dates, Terms and Lead Times
Hajj 2027 is expected around 14 to 19 May, with pilgrim flights from early April. What a Hajj wet lease covers, who buys widebody capacity, block-hour guarantees and the 2027 tender timeline airlines need to hit before contracts close.
Hajj Wet Lease 2027: How Airlines Lock In Widebody Capacity Before the Tenders Close
A Hajj wet lease gives an airline extra widebody aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance for the pilgrimage season, usually for six to ten weeks across an outbound and a return wave. For 2027 the window is tight. Hajj is expected around 14 to 19 May 2027, subject to moon sighting, and the first pilgrim flights leave in early April. Airlines that have not tendered by December will be choosing from what is left.
Hajj 2027 at a glance
What a Hajj wet lease covers
- Aircraft: high-density widebodies, typically A330-300, A330-900, 777-300ER or 747/A380 for the largest programmes.
- Crew: full flight and cabin crew sets on a wet lease, or cockpit crew only on a damp lease with the airline's own cabin crew.
- Maintenance and insurance: carried by the lessor, which keeps the aircraft on its own AOC.
- Pricing: a block-hour rate against a minimum guarantee. A past Biman Bangladesh tender, for example, guaranteed 700 block hours per aircraft.
Who buys Hajj capacity
National carriers in Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and North Africa, plus Saudi airlines carrying pilgrims from dozens of cities. In 2026, flyadeal wet-leased A330neos to carry almost 85,000 pilgrims, and Garuda added damp-leased A330s from Thai AirAsia X and World2Fly. See our ranking of widebody ACMI providers for operators with Hajj experience.
The 2027 timeline
| Milestone | Expected date | What it means for leasing |
|---|---|---|
| Bilateral agreementsBangladesh roadmap | 8 November 2026 | Quotas set, so seat demand becomes firm |
| Hajj visas openBangladesh roadmap | 28 January 2027 | Lease contracts should already be signed |
| First outbound flightsBangladesh, Tunisia | 8 to 26 April 2027 | Aircraft delivered, crews positioned |
| Hajj ritesSubject to moon sighting | 14 to 19 May 2027 | Gap between waves; plan secondary flying |
| Return waveTypical pattern | Late May to late June 2027 | Lease ends after the last repatriation flight |
Sources: Bangladesh Hajj 2027 roadmap and Tunisia's first Hajj 2027 flight. Check approval rules for foreign-registered capacity in our wet-lease regulations guide, and build a fallback into the contract using our note on ACMI provider failure.
Frequently asked questions
When should an airline secure a Hajj wet lease for 2027?
Before the end of 2026. Hajj 2027 is expected around 14 to 19 May 2027, and Bangladesh's roadmap starts Hajj flights on 8 April 2027. Widebody capacity is usually committed months ahead, so tenders issued in Q4 2026 have the widest choice of aircraft.
Is a Hajj lease usually wet or damp?
Both are used. Saudi carriers such as flyadeal have wet-leased A330neo widebodies, while Garuda Indonesia's 2026 Hajj tenders indicated a preference for damp lease-style contracts.
Need Hajj 2027 widebody capacity?
Blue Cube Aviation sources wet, damp and ACMI capacity for airlines and pilgrimage programmes. Send your sectors, seat count and dates for a quote before the best aircraft are committed.
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