The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has officially communicated President Bola Tinubu’s approval for three airlines to exclusively serve the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage, as announced by Fatima Sanda-Usara, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs…CONTINUE READING

In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, Sanda-Usara outlined the approved airlines as Air Peace Ltd., FlyNas, and Max Air.

Air Peace is assigned to transport intending pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kwara, Ondo, Rivers states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

FlyNas will handle pilgrims from Borno, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, and Zamfara states.

Max Air, having the highest allocation, is entrusted with the responsibility of moving pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Armed Forces, Gombe, Jigawa, and Plateau states.

Additionally, Sanda-Usara revealed that three air cargo companies – Cargo Zeal Technologies Ltd., Nahco Aviance, and Qualla Investment Ltd – have received approval to airfreight pilgrims’ excess luggage.

This development is seen as a reinforcement of the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring a seamless and secure pilgrimage experience for Nigerian intending pilgrims.

The official statement from NAHCON emphasized the concurrent approval of the Federal Government for the allocation of pilgrims from various states to each of the approved airlines.

The breakdown includes Air Peace for specific states and the FCT, FlyNas for designated states, and Max Air with the highest allocation for another set of states.

Sanda-Usara clarified that this allocation aligns with the existing Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia regarding the transportation of pilgrims under the government quota. State governments have the flexibility to designate any of the approved freight companies to handle their pilgrims’ excess luggage.

However, in cases where states opt for exclusive arrangements, such decisions must be communicated to NAHCON for proper coordination.