First Nigeria flight for Hajj 2022 to begin next week
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that the first set of Nigerians to proceed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2022 hajj would depart on Thursday, June 9.
The Commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, made this revelation in Abuja on Friday at the signing of 2022 hajj airlift agreement by appointed hajj air carriers.
The Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, on Friday, June 3, 2022 signed Hajj airlift agreement with three successful airlines.
The airlines are Max Air, Azman Air and FlyNas. The former two are Nigerian based while FlyNas is the Saudi Arabian based airline, satisfying the airlift quota sharing formular between the host country and other Hajj participating countries.
The NAHCON Chairman informed that the Commission’s advance team will leave for Saudi Arabia on the sixth of June while the inaugural flight will take-off on 9th of June from Maiduguri, Borno state.
Seven airlines; Max Air, FlyNas, Azman Air, Med-View Airline, Skypower Express, Westlink Airlines and Arik Air, applied for the slots. After the exercise, those selected ranked the best three whose names were forwarded to the presidency for approval before sealing the contract agreement.
States allocated to specific airlines are as follows: Max Air is to fly pilgrims from 13 states namely-Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and Taraba. Azman Air is entrusted with conveyance of pilgrims from 16 states and the Armed Forces.
The states are Kano, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, and Yobe. Meanwhile, FlyNas would fly pilgrims from Edo, FCT- Abuja, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara- making eight states.
In his speech, the NAHCON Chief Executive Officer congratulated the successful airlines and enjoined them to treat all pilgrims with the VIP treatment which they deserve. He described the contract signing occasion as the beginning of Hajj operations because there cannot be Hajj without air transportation from Nigeria.
In his submission, Commissioner Operations, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa described the gathering as epoch after almost three years without Hajj. He also congratulated the successful carriers while directing them to see this as a challenge to do their best. The Commission, he informed had created an aviation monitoring committee saddled with the responsibility of monitoring their performances.
