Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 150 Flights with 62,975 Pilgrims
By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Makkah
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 62,975 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, 149 other flights have taken off from Abuja, Illorin, Bauchi, Kano, Dutse, Sokoto, Katsina, Lagos, Gombe, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt 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.
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PRNIGERIA can report that with Flynas flight XY5596 which departed Maiduguri to Madinah at 10:31hrs on Monday with 380 pilgrims and 8 officials, a milestone of 150 flights have been achieved while a total of 62,975 Nigerian worshippers have been successfully airlifted to the Holy Land so far.
Out of the 380 pilgrims in the latest flight, 225 (126 Males, 99 Females) were from Yobe state while 155 (100 Males, 55 Females) were from Borno state. The flight also had eight NAHCON officials on board.
About 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s Hajj exercise out of which NAHCON is responsible for airlifting 75,000.
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.
