The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that it will end the transportation of prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia by Saturday. According to Mrs. Fatima Usara, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs at NAHCON, 71,000 travelers have been transported through170 flights to Jeddah and Madinah, with Azman line still due for one more flight.
Usara emphasized that the FlyNas Saudi Arabian airline would complete the government quota of transporting pilgrims by June 23rd while Max Air will conclude the private tour operator services by 24th June. She further revealed that a special flight was arranged to take officials from Nigeria on June 23, while she urged those who are eligible, with valid travel documents but had not yet been contacted, to visit their nearest pilgrim welfare agency.
It is noteworthy that outbound movement of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia is still allowed on June 23 and 24. The 27-day marathon of transportation has been coordinated by various airlines such as Aero Contractors, Max Air, Air Peace, and FlyNas, who experienced technical issues that caused some delay in their operations.
This year’s pilgrimage has been marred by several challenges, including COVID-19 restrictions and the ongoing security threats in Nigeria. Despite these setbacks, the Nigerian pilgrims remain resilient, and the NAHCON continues to ensure their welfare and safe transportation to Saudi Arabia.
