Labour Strike Won’t Affect Airlift Of Pilgrims – NAHCON

National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has allayed the fear of intending pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj, saying the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) will not affect their airlift to Saudi Arabia for the spiritual exercise.

The commission, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the assistant director of public affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, said already out of about 65,000 Nigerians registered to perform this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia, it has transported 37,102 pilgrims to the Holy Land for the religious rituals.

The statement said the Hajj flights have been departing as planned, beginning with the initial three flights per day from the day of the inaugural flight, which gradually increased to a maximum of six flights daily and assured the intending pilgrims and other concerned Muslims that the strike action would not affect the Hajj airlift.

“While the strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is causing apprehension among some concerned pilgrims, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria wishes to assure pilgrims and other concerned Muslims that the strike action will not affect the Hajj airlift. From NAHCON’s projection, all pilgrims will be transported to Saudi Arabia before 10th of June 2024,” Usara said.

She stated, “The Hajj flights have been departing as planned beginning with the initial three flights per day from the day of the inaugural flight. This gradually increased to a maximum of six flights daily. Currently, NAHCON runs a minimum of four flights daily to a maximum of six flights, depending on the schedule. About 13,176 pilgrims are yet to be airlifted, which would have reduced before the end of today.

“A breakdown of the states yet to conclude the airlift shows one more flight each remaining from the following locations: Kaduna, Gombe, Borno, Zamfara, Adamawa, Kebbi, and FCT with 33 pilgrims on the ground.

“All South-South states will be airlifted in one flight with seats remaining. Taraba, with a little over 1,000 pilgrims, is yet to commence airlift as scheduled, while Kwara, Jigawa, Niger, and Sokoto are continuing with the airlift of their pilgrims steadily on course.

“As approved in the airlift agreement, all carriers deployed the agreed number of aircraft for the exercise. Max Air has provided two operational aircraft with one available as standby,”