Nigeria’s government has approved three airlines to serve as exclusive carriers for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
The approved airlines are Air Peace Ltd., Max Air and a Saudi’s airline FlyNas. Also approved are three other air cargo companies that will airfreight pilgrims’ excess luggage. They are Cargo Zeal Technologies Ltd, Nahco Aviance and Qualla Investment Limited.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Fatima Sanda Usara, assistant director of public affairs, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and made available to media houses Friday night.
The statement added that the approval reinforces the government’s commitment to ensuring a seamless and secure pilgrimage experience for Nigerian intending pilgrims.
Consequently, Air Peace is to transport intending pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Saudi’s airline FlyNas will airlift intending pilgrims from Borno, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara states, 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 states.
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 an 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 on 7th January 2024.
