The federal government has officially granted approval to three distinguished airlines for the exclusive carriage of pilgrims during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
The selected carriers are Air Peace Ltd., FlyNas, and Max Air.
The announcement, made by Fatima Sanda Usara, Assistant Director of Public Affairs at NAHCON, on Saturday, January 6, 2023, revealed that the government also approved three air cargo companies, namely Cargo Zeal Technologies Ltd, Nahco Aviance, and Qualla Investment Limited, to handle the airfreight of pilgrims’ excess luggage.
According to the statement, the federal government concurrently approved the allocation of pilgrims from various states to each of the selected airlines.
Air Peace is tasked with transporting intending pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and others.
FlyNas will airlift Muslim pilgrims from Borno, Lagos, Osun, and more. Max Air, with the highest allocation, will be responsible for moving pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, and other states.
This allocation aligns with the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, governing the airlift of pilgrims under government quota. State governments also have the option to designate any of the approved freight companies for conveying their pilgrims’ excess luggage, provided such decisions are communicated to the Commission accordingly.
In a related development, the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, is set to lead a delegation from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage on January 7, 2024.
Malam Arabi, while congratulating the approved airlines on their selection, urged them to gear up for facilitating a smooth pilgrimage in the 2024 season.
NAHCON remains dedicated to upholding the highest standards in pilgrimage organization, with a primary focus on the safety and satisfaction of pilgrims.