Nine days into the home-bound airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia after the completion of 2023’s Hajj exercise, a total of 14,965 pilgrims have so far been airlifted back home as of 7:04 pm, Nigerian time (9:04 pm, Saudi time) on Wednesday in 38 flights.
The latest departure from the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia was a contingent of 478 Nasarawa State pilgrims, flown to Abuja by Saudi airline, Fly Nas.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) commenced the homeward airlift operation on July 4 after the pilgrims completed the Hajj rites on June 30.
The commission had on Tuesday informed that it had secured more slots for the five Nigerian airlines involved in the airlift of pilgrims from the state pilgrim welfare boards and tour operators to enable them to operate from the airport in Jeddah.
The Nigerian airlines, Air Peace; Azman Air; Max Air and Aero Contractors, approved to airlift pilgrims from the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Arik Air approved for tour operators.
Unlike Fly Nas, which had been having seamless operations airlifting state pilgrims assigned to it, the Nigerian airlines were hindered in their operation due to the allocation of slots to them.
NAHCON had announced that as of Wednesday all five Nigerian airlines would begin to operate their inbound flights optimally.
A press release, signed by NAHCON’s Deputy Director, Information and Publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki, made available to Tribune Online from Makkah, stated that this was the outcome of the high-level meeting between the commission and the Saudi authorities, General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA) on the slow pace of the airlift operation.
He informed that despite several representations, including the intervention of the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Amb Dauda Yahaya Lawal, little was achieved until the issue was escalated to the highest level of government before the situation was finally resolved.
According to Ubandawaki, “Beginning from tomorrow Wednesday, 12th July, 2023 all the Nigerian licensed carriers would begin to operate their in-bound flight to Nigeria optimally.
“This was the outcome of the high-level meeting between the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Saudi authorities, General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA) on the slow pace of the airlift operation.
“With the situation, Max Airline with three aircraft on its fleet will be able to operate all the aircraft to Nigeria everyday, the same with Aero Contractors, Air peace, Azman and Arik Air which is dedicated to the airlift of private tour operators.”
The new development, the NAHCON official stated, was expected to ease the strain on the agitation of Nigerian pilgrims who have been anxious to return to Nigeria since the conclusion of the Hajj rites.
