By Bello Hamza, Abuja
All things being equal, the outbound movement of intending pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia would commence on Wednesday, May 15, with the inaugural flight scheduled to take off from the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, with the first batch of Kebbi State pilgrims on board.
Already the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria had announced Air Peace, Max Air and a Saudi airline, Flynas as air carrier for the 2024 hajj. Flynas will kick-start the outbound flight on May 15 with Kebbi pilgrims. Other states Flynas will subsequently ferry to Holy Land for 2024 pilgrimage are Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Borno, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara.
Air Peace would transport pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers.
Max Air with the highest allocation will be flying pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau states as well as Armed Forces pilgrims.
The chairman of NAHCON, Malam Ahmad Jalal Arabi, while assuring the readiness and commitment of the commission to airlift everyone to and from Saudi Arabia without any difficulty, said over 65, 000 pilgrims would be performing this year’s Hajj ritual in the Islamic holy land.
Arabi, who spoke in an exclusive chat with LEADERSHIP recently, said even as every Hajj comes with its challenges, the commission under his leadership is working round the clock with all the stakeholders to provide effective and efficient services to Nigerian pilgrims.
