The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday explained facts about the additional $100 fare for this year’s Hajj payable by the intending pilgrims, saying that trending news on the fare is misrepresentation of fact.
This is even as the Hajj body assured Nigerians that it will never be part of any act that will exploit pilgrims.
NAHCON Deputy Director, Information and Publications, Mousa Ubandawaki, stated in a statement he signed and made available to Tribune Online that the ongoing Sudan crisis, which had resulted in the closure of its airspace for security reasons, necessitated all Hajj airlift flights to operate through alternate routes which were from one hour, 40 minutes to three hours longer depending on the departure points in Nigeria.
He stated that the alternate route would necessitate the airlines to fly through the airspace of Cameroun, Central African Republic (CAR), Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea, with additional cost of aviation fuel and over flight charges.
As a result of this, he stated that NAHCON reviewed all options in relations to funding the additional $250 to the airlines which involved several process and meetings with the airlines, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the state pilgrims welfare boards in order to find a quick resolution to the problems.
According to Ubandawaki, “It has come to the notice of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) of a trending news item or information that the pilgrims to this year’s Hajj have been directed to pay additional $100 dollars.
“It is important to clarify that the Sudan crisis which has resulted in the closure of its airspace for security reasons. Consequently, all Hajj airlift flights will operate through alternate routes which are from 1 hour 40 minutes to 3 hours longer depending on the departure points in Nigeria.
“This alternate route would necessitate the carriers to fly through the airspace of Cameroun, Central African Republic (CAR), Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea, with additional cost of aviation fuel and over flight charges.
“We thoroughly reviewed all of the options in relations to funding the additional $250 dollars to the Airlines which involved several process and meetings with the Airlines, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards in order to find a quick resolution to the problems.”
He added that the Hajj body resolved to manage the situation thus: “The Commission solicited Federal Government to compassionately agree to waive the remaining 35% of aviation charges in favour of airlines which would translate to $55 (fifty-five dollars).
“This would further alleviate the additional cost of the airfare on the Nigerian pilgrims. The Government had earlier waived 65% of the aviation charges to bring down the cost of Hajj.
“With this development, the $250 (two hundred and fifty dollars) addition negotiated with the airlines will be reduced by $55(fifty-five dollars). The liability of the remaining $195 will be borne by the 75,000 pilgrims which is calculated at $117 per pilgrim.”
The statement informed that to offset the $117 without causing additional financial obligations on the pilgrims, NAHCON resolved to reduce the Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) for 2023 Hajj pilgrims to the sum of $700 against the $800 provided in the Hajj package already paid by the pilgrims.
It added that for the remaining $17 NAHCON has further sought understanding of the air carriers to offer that amount as additional discount to Nigerian pilgrims who are also victims of the Sudan airspace closure.
“We however hasten to clarify that should the Sudanese airspace be cleared for normal flight either before the commencement of the airlift or at any point of the operation, appropriate refunds will be made to the pilgrims,” the statement assured
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While saying that NAHCON has always made itself available to the media and the pilgrims to offer its maximum support and cooperation in provision of information, Ubandawaki assured that the commission was committed to smooth airlift of Nigerian pilgrims.
“The Commission once again wants to reiterate its commitment to the smooth airlift of Nigerian pilgrims as well as give them the best of services in the course of administering Hajj,” he stated.
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