The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria had announced Air Peace, Max Air and a Saudi airline, Flynas as air carrier for the 2024 hajj. Flynas will kick-start the outbound flight on May 15 with Kebbi pilgrims.
Other states Flynas that will subsequently ferry to Holy Land for 2024 pilgrimage are Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Borno, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara.
Air Peace would transport pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers.
While Max Air with the highest allocation will be flying pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau states as well as Armed Forces pilgrims.
NAHCON chairman, Malam Ahmad Jalal Arabi, while assuring the readiness and commitment of the commission to airlift everyone to and from Saudi Arabia without any difficulty, said over 65, 000 pilgrims would be performing this year’s Hajj ritual in the Islamic holy land.
Arabi, who spoke in an interview with newsmen, said even as every Hajj comes with its challenges, the commission under his leadership is working round the clock with all the stakeholders to provide effective and efficient services to Nigerian pilgrims.
He said the NAHCON act is supervisory, which gives the mandate to ensure that anything on Hajj is scrutinised so that at least there is uniformity, concession and collaboration in approach.
Arabi expressed confidence that the challenge of the 2023 congestion at masha’ir – shortage of tents and poor hygiene in Muna will not reoccur at this year‘s hajj, saying less number of Nigerian pilgrims will perform this year compared to 2023.
Recall that the 2023 Hajj rituals did not go down smoothly for many Nigerian pilgrims who had to stand under the scorching sun due to the shortage of tents in Muna.
95,000 Nigerian pilgrims performed the 2023 hajj, but thousands of them could not get spaces in the overcrowded tent in Muna and Arafat, forcing them to stay under the sun which peaked at over 40 degree Celsius.