Nigeria, Saudi Officials Meet Over Review Of BASA, Others Ahead 2026 Hajj

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has held high-level meetings with Saudi Arabian authorities to strengthen aviation ties and address key issues ahead of this year’s Hajj operations.

Keyamo disclosed this in a statement shared on his verified Facebook page late Monday night, detailing his engagements in Riyadh with top Saudi officials earlier on Sunday.

According to the minister, he met separately with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, and the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Abdulaziz Al-Duailej.

He said the meetings focused on strengthening bilateral aviation relations and improving arrangements for Nigerian pilgrims travelling for Hajj.

“Yesterday, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I had separate meetings with my counterpart in Saudi Arabia… and the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA),” Keyamo said.

The minister noted that he was accompanied by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, alongside key directors from the ministry.

Keyamo explained that discussions centred on reviewing existing agreements and resolving operational concerns.

“Our discussions centred on the need to review our existing Bi-lateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between both countries to meet modern realities,” he said.

He added that both countries were also considering revising the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2015, which outlines the sharing formula for airlifting pilgrims annually.

“The need to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2015 prescribing the sharing formula of pilgrims to be airlifted by airlines of both countries yearly was also discussed,” he stated.

Other key issues deliberated upon included Hajj slot allocations for Nigerian airlines, the percentage distribution of pilgrims between Saudi and Nigerian carriers, and operational efficiency concerns affecting Nigerian airlines for this year’s Hajj.

“The slots allocations for the Nigerian airlines (flag carriers) for this year’s Hajj operations, the percentage of pilgrims to be lifted by both the airlines of Saudi Arabia and Nigeria this year, and a number of issues concerning the operational efficiency of Nigerian Airlines for this year’s Hajj were also discussed,” Keyamo said.

The minister described the engagements as productive, noting that both sides reached important resolutions.

“Both teams had frank and fruitful discussions on all issues and key decisions taken regarding the Hajj have been immediately communicated to our designated airlines,” he added.