Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 130 Flights with 54,617 Pilgrims in 22 Days

Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 130 Flights with 54,617 Pilgrims in 22 Days

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Jeddah

Three weeks after the official flag-off of the 2023 Hajj exercise by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), sister agencies and airlines have so far airlifted 54,617 pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Since the flag-off on Thursday May 25, 2023 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, NAHCON and other stakeholders have intensified the airlift of pilgrims to the Holy Land which is taking place simultaneously across the country.

Since the commencement of the flights with Max Air Plane conveying over 400 Nasarawa pilgrims, 129 other flights have taken off from Abuja, Illorin, Bauchi, Kano, Dutse, Sokoto, Katsina, Lagos, Gombe, Maiduguri and other cities.

Aside from Max Air, other airlines that were engaged to convey pilgrims to the Holy Land include Flynas, Air Peace, Aero Contractors and Azman.

PRNIGERIA can report that with Aero Contractors’ flight NIG8049 which departed Abuja to Madinah at 18:25hrs on Friday with 403 FCT pilgrims (205 Males, 198 Females) and 71 officials, a milestone of 130 flights have been achieved while a total of 54,617 Nigerian worshippers have been successfully airlifted to the Holy Land so far.

About 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s Hajj exercise.

NAHCON boss, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, had told journalists after the inaugural flight ceremony three weeks ago that all Nigerian pilgrims would be airlifted within 25 days from 15 take-off points across the country.

The 25-day target is meant to meet up with the deadline set for the closure of the Saudi Arabia airspace.

The King Fahd International Airport, Jeddah, and the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah, are expected to be shut on Thursday, 22nd of June, 2023.