By; Abdull-Azeez Ahmed Kadir.
About two weeks into the commencement of the in-bound airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi, over 45,000 pilgrims have been successfully airlifted back to Nigeria in 116 flights, with August 3rd set for the final flight.
The in-bound operation began on July 4th with the airlift of 387 Sokoto pilgrims by Flynas; a Saudi base airline after the completion of the symbolic stoning of the Jamrats and completion of Hajj rites.
Though initially bedeviled by non-provision of slots to many of the airlines except the Flynas; a Saudi based airline, which enjoys considerable “home advantage” from the General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA), the operation later picked up following the intervention of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan and the highest authority in Nigeria to resolve the logjam.
Since then, the airlift has been progressing
It would be recalled that the out-bound operation spanned a month with the inaugural flight held on May 25 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja with the airlift of Nasarawa State Pilgrims and concluded on June 24 with the airlift of Niger State pilgrims and remainders of pilgrims from Kaduna and Kebbi states.
In a related development, the second phase of the visit to Madinah by less than 2,000 Nigerian pilgrims, had commenced with the visitation by 365 (Batch 5) of Borno State pilgrims, who were conveyed to the second Holiest city.
The Commission has fixed August 3 as the target date for the completion of the in-bound flight to Nigeria by the airlines; Max Air, Air Peace, Flynas, Aero Contractors and Azman, the officially designated carriers for the 2023 Hajj airlifts.
The commission said it has successfully achieved the feat of ensuring that over 98 percent of Nigerian pilgrims visited Madinah in the first phase of the operation which marked the first time in the commission’s history.
