Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 180 Flights with 73,782 Pilgrims

Hajj 2023: NAHCON Completes 180 Flights with 73,782 Pilgrims

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Makkah

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), sister agencies and airlines have airlifted 73,782 pilgrims to the country out of the 75,000 they are scheduled to airlift for this year’s Hajj exercise.

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, 169 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 Flynas flight XY5988 which departed Abuja to Jeddah at 23:20hrs on Friday with 156 pilgrims and 139 officials, a milestone of 180 flights have been achieved while a total of 73,782 Nigerian worshippers have been successfully airlifted to the Holy Land so far.

Out of the 156 pilgrims on board the latest flight, 35 were from FCT (all Males), 40 from Kebbi (all Males), one Female from Zamfara, three Males from Sokoto, 77 from Kaduna (71 Males, 6 Females)

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.

Relevant NAHCON officials have told journalists in Makkah that the remaining pilgrims who are less than 2,000 would be successfully airlifted to Saudi Arabia before the airspace is closed by midnight on Saturday.