2016 hajj: NAHCO to handle 99 outbound, 105 inbound flights

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (Nahco aviance), has announced that it is establishing itself at the forefront of facilitating the ongoing airlift  of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, even as it assures investors and  relevant stakeholders that it will continue to operate at full swing to bring value to shareholders’ funds.

As part of the 2016 hajj exercise which  commenced in the country at the weekend, it is estimated that NAHCO will handle a minimum of 99 outbound and 105 inbound flights from 10 airports across the country.

The Head of Corporate Services of the company, Mr Ahmed Bashir Gulma,  said on Tuesday  that every year at this season, NAHCO had always put its services at the behest of Muslim  faithful performing their religious obligation by assisting them in ensuring a hassle -free handling to the holy land.

According to Gulma, “We collaborate with the airlines, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Federal Government in ensuring that Muslim faithful on pilgrimage get excellent passenger handling on their way to and from the holy land.”

The airports on the schedule of NAHCO include Abuja, Sokoto, Katsina, Ilorin and Bauchi. Others are Gombe, Maiduguri, Yola, Minna and Kaduna.

The promise to make this year’s passenger handling service for hajj exceptional, is coming as the company’s managment assured investors, regulators and other relevant stakeholders that it was doing all within its power to resolve the issue regarding the recent visit of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to its offices.

“As a publicly quoted company, NAHCO is guided by its apex regulator, The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the listing rules. We are also aware of our shareholders’ rights as enshrined in the constitution, extant rules and the mutual investment protection treaty covering European strategic investors on our board. As such, this information update has become necessary.”

While declaring that it still awaits details from the investigating authorities as is the practice worldwide so as to ensure the protection of both local and international investors’ interests, NAHCO asserts its envious CV as a fully privatised company, with one of the most successful privatisation track records for 11 years with zero government interests.