Ahead of its initial August 3 target to complete airlift of Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 Hajj back home, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday completed the inbound airlift of the pilgrims.
An Azman Airline flight that conveyed 298 Kaduna State pilgrims, one Bauchi State pilgrim and 16 officials formally drew the curtains on bringing back the Nigerian contingent from Saudi Arabia that performed the 2023 Hajj concluded on June 30.
The second phase of airlift of the pilgrims involved a total of 183 flights operated by the approved airlines for the 2023 operation.
NAHCON commenced the inbound airlift operation on Tuesday, July 4 and announced that it targeted August 3 to complete the airlifting.
Saudi Arabian airline, Fly Nas, flew the first batch of Sokoto State pilgrims back to Nigeria, but the operation initially went on slow pace following the non-provision of slots to the Nigerian airlines involved; Air Peace, Max Air, Aero Contractors and Azman Air, by the the Saudi’s General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA).
This was later resolved when NAHCON escalated the issue at governmental level, with the intervention of the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which paved the way for granting more slots to the Nigerian airlines and their subsequent full-fledged involvement in the inbound airlift operation.
Meanwhile, the NAHCON Chairman/ CEO, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, has expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Nigerians for their tremendous support for the Commission during the just-concluded Hajj operation.
A press release signed by the commission’s Deputy Director, Information and Publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki, informed that Hassan expressed the appreciation on Monday during his address to the last set of Nigerian pilgrims at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before their departure to Nigeria.
The chairman acknowledged the assistance of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Vice-President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, to the successful organisation of the 2023 Hajj.
Hassan stressed that Vice-President Shettima’s intervention enabled NAHCON to transfer its trapped funds to Saudi Arabia and also persuade the General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA) to allocate more slots to Nigerian airlines.
“I want to sincerely express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Nigerian government, especially, the President and Vice President for their timely intervention and support all through this operations.
“Their invaluable support really contributed in no mean term to achieve today’s success story,” Hassan was quoted to have said.
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