Pope-mobile goes airborne with new pilgrimage flights

The pope is to launch a low-cost charter flight service designed to spirit pilgrims to holy sites around the world, according to press reports.

Italian airline Mistral will furnish the Vatican with planes devoted to carrying religious-minded passengers from Rome onwards to the revered locations, though passengers can connect up in Rome after arriving at the city's main commercial airport, served from UK hubs such as Stansted Airport and Aberdeen Airport.

The papal pilgrimage service's inaugural flight on August 27th will pilot travellers from Rome to Lourdes, where miracles of healing are said to be performed and apparitions of saints manifest themselves, with the vicar of Rome Cardinal Camillo Ruini reportedly to be among their number.

The Mistral jets may also run to sacred sites such as Santiago di Compostela in Spain and Jerusalem, a city viewed as holy by Christians, Jews and Muslims alike, as well as Mexico and Poland.

On board the Mistral jets, passengers will enter into the sacred mindset instantly, facing messages inscribed on the planes' headrests pronouncing, 'I'm searching for Your face, Lord'.