The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) announced that 18,061 Nigerian pilgrims have been successfully airlifted to Saudi Arabia for the 2024 Hajj.
This update was provided by NAHCON’s command and control centre on Friday.
According to the centre, the pilgrims were transported via 43 flights operated by Flynas, Air Peace, and Max Air.
NAHCON has a target of airlifting over 65,000 Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.
The inaugural flight for the 2024 Hajj took off on May 15 from the Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Kebbi, with pilgrims from Kebbi, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) being the first to depart.
Thousands of Nigerian pilgrims are expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia through the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madina.
They will spend four days in the city before proceeding to Makkah to perform their Hajj and Umrah rites. The pilgrims will exit Saudi Arabia via the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
In a press statement, Fatima Usara, NAHCON spokesperson, confirmed that there have been no flight cancellations so far.
“Thus far, no flight cancellation has been recorded except for a flight delay that resulted in a time shift that affected the Kwara inaugural flight, moving it from May 20, 2024, to the early hours of Tuesday, May 21,” she stated.
Usara also emphasized that all pilgrims would be returned to Nigeria following the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) policy, ensuring that all spend an equal number of days in Saudi Arabia.
“Pilgrims are advised to be calm and to take note that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has a policy of First-in-First-Out (FIFO) meaning return from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria will follow the same sequence of departure from Nigeria,” she added.
Aliyu Tanko, NAHCON’s deputy coordinator of Makkah operations, reassured journalists in Makkah that all Nigerian pilgrims would be airlifted before the closure of the airports.
He noted that flights are running as scheduled and that Saudi authorities are cooperating effectively with their Nigerian counterparts.
