CAIRO: National airline EgyptAir will raise the price of tickets for hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, this year, announced company Chairman Hussein Masoud. The increase will be about 300 EGP (U.S. $50) over last year's prices, or about 6 percent for the itinerary from Cairo to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and back. The increase is due to the high cost of fuel, which has increased around 50 percent in recent months and is one of the key factors in determining price, as well as higher service charges at Jeddah airport this year. Around 76,000 pilgrims are expected to fly to Jeddah on EgyptAir this season, said Massoud. Hajj flights to Jeddah will be from October 15 through October 31, and return flights from November 9 to November 27.