JUST IN: FG Approves Air Peace, Max, FlyNas for 2024 Hajj Pilgrimage

By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman

The Federal Government of Nigeria, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has officially approved three airlines—Air Peace Ltd., FlyNas, and Max Air—for the exclusive transport of pilgrims during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.

NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, who confirmed this in a statement on Friday, also noted the approval of three air cargo companies—Cargo Zeal Technologies Ltd, Nahco Aviance, and Qualla Investment Limited—to handle pilgrims’ excess luggage.

Usara said that this approval demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring a seamless and secure pilgrimage experience.

According to her, Air Peace will transport pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo, and Rivers.

FlyNas will serve pilgrims from Borno, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, and Zamfara while Max Air, with the highest allocation, will handle pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Armed Forces, Gombe, Jigawa, and Plateau.

The allocation aligns with the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia for the airlift of government-quota pilgrims, as specified in the statement.

However, states have the option to choose approved freight companies for conveying pilgrims’ excess luggage, with such decisions to be communicated to the Commission.

In a related development, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, is scheduled to lead a delegation from NAHCON in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage on January 7, 2024.

Malam Arabi congratulated the approved airlines, urging them to prepare for a smooth 2024 pilgrimage season.