The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has signed agreements with the airlines selected for the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj.
Recall that NAHCON had earlier announced FlyNas, Air Peace and Max Air as the successful airlines to partake in this year’s Hajj.
The commission also said Air Peace would transport intending pilgrims from: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers.
FlyNas will airlift Muslim pilgrims from: Borno, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara.
Max Air with the highest allocation will be responsible for moving pilgrims from: Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau states and the Armed Forces.
Speaking during the signing yesterday in Abuja, the Chairman of NAHCON, Jalal Arabi said the airlines are partners in progress and have all come a long way together.
Arabi said there are huge expectations from the airlines to make a successful outing.
While admitting that there were a series of challenges during last year’s airlift operations, he said the commission and the airlines are hoping for improvement that won’t see a repeat of the challenges.
“The icing on the cake is to have a successful outing and we know we won’t fail. There have been some moments of anxiety because what we are about to do now should have been done months ago. We will enter into agreement but the majority of it is based on trust. There are many of you on the queue but you scale through.”
He reminded the airlines that they have a name to protect during the period, thus, they should strive to protect the pilgrims during the exercise.
“There have been challenges in the past where there were infractions but with the way we started, we will have understood where they came from. We have no doubt you will excel and things will be done in the positive. I want to prove the naysayers wrong that things have changed for the better.”
The Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA Captain Chris Ona Najomo who was represented by the Director, Aerodromes and Air Space Standards in a brief remark said the nation “Cannot afford to do fire brigade operations to Hajj.”
He said the agency had already commenced its work ahead of time “Because Hajj operations are predictable. 15 aerodromes have been inspected and all issues have been communicated and are being addressed.”
