Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 160 Flights with 67,072 Pilgrims

Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 160 Flights with 67,072 Pilgrims

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Makkah

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), sister agencies and airlines have so far airlifted 67,072 pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s Hajj.

Since the flag-off of the exercise 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, Kaduna, 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.

PRNIGERIA can report that with Azman flight ZU2356 which departed Kaduna to Madinah at 14:49hrs on Tuesday with 319 pilgrims (217 Males, 102 Females) and 13 officials, a milestone of 160 flights have been achieved while a total of 67,072 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 out of which NAHCON is responsible for airlifting 75,000.