A recent Wizz Air trip between the UK and Saudi Arabia has received recognition for bringing down the cost of pilgrimage travel.

The cost of making a pilgrimage has been said to have decreased because to a new Wizz Air route that operates between the UK and Saudi Arabia.

The low-cost Hungarian airline stated yesterday that it will begin offering flights between Jeddah and Gatwick Airport in West Sussex on March 31 of the next year. The airline plans to employ the new Airbus A321XLR for the route.

Mecca, the destination of more than 1.8 million Muslims making the Hajj pilgrimage this year, is only an hour's drive from Jeddah. More than 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 nations were among them. One of the five pillars of Islam is the hajj, which every Muslim who has the means to do so must perform at least once.The Wizz Air flight is likely to draw many more of Britain's four million Muslims into the group of those with the means, as it's significantly cheaper than the current alternatives. The cheapest return flights with Wizz Air will cost just over £200, while British Airways lowest fare is £560 return. Most other airlines working the route include a stop, while Wizz Air's doesn't and will take just six hours in total.

Shahin Ashraf, head of global advocacy at Islamic Relief, described the Wizz Air fare as a "brilliant price".

"We would normally go from London, make a stop, then from there to Jeddah. For the price and the time, you will be encouraging more people on pilgrimage. What will happen is those who haven't been before will go," Shahin told the Mirror.

"I have been on the big Hajj pilgrimage years ago, but most recently last December. I travelled from my home to Stansted, Stansted to Greece, Greece to Jeddah and then to Mecca. It cost £525 per person return. On the way back it was a different airline. An average good airline from London to Jeddah would be £900, and a lot of people can't afford that.

"You have to factor in hotel costs when you get there. It could be five to seven days in Mecca, then on to Medina for three to five days."

Shahin described the "sense of grounding" that she experienced while on her most recent pilgrimage when asked of the importance of travelling to Mecca. "When life is so busy, and everything is instantaneous, when you go it's a time to recalibrate, reflect, and get your bearings. It's such a positive experience. I went at a time when it was particularly stressful at work. I managed to take time off and came back much clearer headed," she said.

While the new flight will certainly lower the financial costs, the environmental impact associated with flying from London to Jeddah remains largely the same. Each passenger who makes the journey produces 1.7 metric tons CO2 equivalent, according to Flight Free. Avoiding this trip is as climate friendly as being vegetarian for 3.2 years, the organisation claims.

"I recognise that there is a climate catastrophe and a cost of living issue. Being called is an immense honour, where the only thing that counts is that spiritual bond. When a large number of individuals take flights, we should make sure to ask, "How do you give back to the ecosystem?" Consider how you may turn it into an environmentally conscious pilgrimage. "I planted multiple trees in various countries after my journey," Shahin continued.

Never before have such dire warnings been issued as they were after the Hajj this year, when temperatures reached as high as 50C and at least 1,300 people perished.