The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has successfully completed the airlift of intending pilgrims from Kogi, Oyo, Imo, and Abia states.
According to a statement released on Monday by Fatima Usara, the Commission’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, the 2025 Hajj exercise has shown “a notable improvement” in operational efficiency compared to 2024.
“Air Peace has concluded the airlift of Kogi state pilgrims, transporting 559 out of the 564 scheduled,” the statement read.
“Similarly, Max Air has completed the airlift of Oyo state pilgrims, with a total of 1,083 pilgrims successfully conveyed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Imo and Abia states have also completed their operations, with the exception of a few ‘no-show’ pilgrims during the inaugural flight. These will be accommodated in the mop-up flights later in the exercise.”
Usara highlighted that within the first three days of the operation, NAHCON had already airlifted 19 percent of the total intending pilgrims—an improvement from the 9 percent recorded within the same timeframe in 2024.
“Within three days of commencement, the commission has successfully airlifted 19 per cent of the total intending pilgrims. This marks a notable improvement from the 9 per cent airlift within the same period in 2024,” she noted.
Looking ahead, UMZA is scheduled to begin transporting pilgrims from Kaduna on May 14, operating consecutive flights until all are airlifted. FlyNas will commence flights for Sokoto pilgrims on May 13, while Air Peace will begin the airlift for Abuja on May 16 and Borno on May 18.
“NAHCON Chairman Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman commends the performance of the airlines, the State Pilgrims’ Boards and other stakeholders for their cooperation that facilitated the smooth and timely movement of pilgrims,” Usara added.
Okay.ng reports that this year, a total of 64,188 Nigerians are expected to participate in the annual pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
