KEY POINTS
- Four airlines selected for 2025 Hajj operations: Fly Nas, Max Air, UMZA Aviation and Air Peace.
- The three cargo carriers approved to carry excess baggage.
- The 2025 Hajj MoU between Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and NAHCON was also signed.
The Federal Government has announced that only four airlines, selected from the eleven that submitted bids, will transport Nigerian pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Executive Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Usman made the announcement Sunday in Abuja.
The air carriers selected to participate in the programme are Air Peace Ltd., Fly-Nas (a Saudi designated carrier), Max Air and UMZA Aviation Services Ltd.
A 32-member Aviation Screening Committee, inaugurated by NAHCON on November 26, 2024, conducted a rigorous screening process to select these airlines.
Rigorous selection process
Eleven airlines applied and only four met NAHCON’s requirements, Prof Usman said. The screening committee included members from aviation and regulatory bodies such as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
The committee also included members from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and NAHCON Board representatives from various geopolitical zones.
The screening process also approved three excess cargo carriers for the pilgrimage: Aglow Aviation Support Services Ltd, Cargozeal Technology Ltd, and Qualla Investment Ltd.
Formalizing Hajj Arrangements
NAHCON and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah signed the 2025 Hajj MoU in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Prof. The Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Abdulfatah Masahat, signed on behalf of Saudi Arabia and Usman represented Nigeria.
And thanking the airlines that succeeded, Prof. Usman further urged them to fulfill their obligations to the Hajj’s good operation.
In addition, stating the role of collaboration among all stakeholders in meeting the expectations of intending pilgrims, he stressed.
