The Federal Government has approved four airlines as official air carriers to convey intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Usman, announced this in a statement by the commission’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Mrs. Fatima Usara.
Usman said the four airlines were selected out of the 11 companies that submitted applications to convey Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Muslims pilgrimage.
The NAHCON chairman named the four approved airlines as: Air Peace Limited, Fly-Nas (a Saudi Arabia designated airline), Max Air, and UMZA Aviation Services Limited.
He added that the airlines were screened and shortlisted by a team of 32 officials who were sworn in by the NAHCON on November 26, 2024.
Usman said the composition of the Aviation Screening Committee included representatives of state pilgrims’ welfare boards, three members of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and one member each from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The NAHCON chairman also said some members of the committee were drawn from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
He added that one member each was drawn from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
Others, Usman listed, are: NAHCON board members representing each geo-political zone of the country, NAHCON Heads of Aviation, Procurement, Legal, Internal Audit, Special Duties, as well as the board member representing the Aviation industry.
The NAHCON boss also said three excess cargo carriers were selected for the hajj operations.
He named them as: Aglow Aviation Support Services Limited, Cargozeal Technology Limited and Qualla Investment Lmited.
The chairman, who congratulated the successful companies, urged them to fulfill their responsibilities as they promised during their screening.
Also, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has fixed January 30 as the registration deadline for all intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj.
The board’s spokesman, Mohammed Aliyu, announced the deadline in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
Aliyu explained that the new deadline followed an adjustment by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on the 2025 calendar, and directed all states’ Pilgrims Welfare Boards and agencies to remit all collections by February 1.
The NAHCON spokesman said the board had exhausted over 40 per cent of its allocation for this year’s Hajj as at September last year.
He urged the intending pilgrims to utilise the opportunity to make a deposit before the new deadline elapsed.
Aliyu said intending pilgrims were expected to deposit a minimum of N8.4 million via a bank draft at any commercial bank payable to the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board in Abuja, pending the release of the actual Hajj fare by NAHCON.
