The federal government has approved three airlines to serve as exclusive carriers for the 2024 hajj pilgrimage.
The airlines are Air Peace, Max Air and a Saudi’s airline, FlyNas. Also approved are three air cargo companies that will airfreight pilgrims’ excess luggage. They are Cargo Zeal Technologies Ltd, Nahco Aviance and Qualla Investment Limited.
This is contained in a statement signed by the assistant director of public affairs, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Fatima Sanda Usara and made available to newsmen in Abuja late Friday.
The statement added that the approval
reinforced government’s commitment to ensure seamless and secure pilgrimage experience for pilgrims.
Air Peace is to transport pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers.
FlyNas will airlift pilgrims from Borno, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara, while Max Air with the highest allocation will be responsible for moving pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Armed Forces, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau.
According to the statement, the allocation of pilgrims to the airlines was in line with the subsisting Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on airlift of pilgrims under government quota. However, state governments may choose to designate any of the approved freight companies to convey their pilgrims’ excess luggage. Should any state enter such exclusive arrangement, the decision should be communicated to the commission accordingly.
In another 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) to partake in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2024 hajj pilgrimage today.
