The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has signed an agreement for the airlift of 2022 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. In a brief ceremony on Friday 2nd May, the commission signed the Agreement at the Hajj House in Abuja with three different carriers which include, Max air, Flynass and Azman Air.
The three Airlines are the ones who emerged as winners of the bid after about seven other companies including Med- view airline, Skypower express Westlink Airlines and Arik Applied for the slots.
In his welcoming address, the commissioner of operation Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Hardaway after congratulating the three winners companies further stated that they are relying on the airlines to deliver the responsibilities bestowed on them.
He said: It is my pleasure on behalf of the chairman and management staff of the commission to humbly congratulate successful careers, these means to them an opportunity to airlift intending pilgrims for hajj exercise, it did not arise as a coincidence to emerge successful after a diligent and rigorous screening process, there were seven airlines but only the three of them were successful therefore they deserved to be congratulated’’.
‘’But I also have to point out that their success is a big challenge to them, all Nigerians are anxious to see that Nigerians depart successfully to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj this year, Nigerians cannot go to Hajj without the carriers the essence which the operate will determine the success of the entire exercise and that is a big challenge to them equally a big challenge to us’’
‘’On our part, we have constituted the aviation monitoring committee that will be on their neck monitoring their performances day in and day out until the pilgrims are successfully taken to Saudi Arabia and at the same time brought back as at when due without hitches and delay, we join all Nigerians in praying to Allah subahanahu wa ta’ala, to make the exercise a hitch-free, so much so that the confidence we had on the carriers shall be justified, we ask them to be diligent, we ask them to be responsive, we ask them to be a concern with the welfare of the pilgrim, may All support us all in this respect. ’’.
Alhaji Hardawa further stated ‘’This exercise is very important to this board because it never has been on board for over two years but never had the opportunity to prove to Nigerians that they are capable of delivering and this is their chance to prove to Nigerians, but they cannot do it without the support and goodwill of the air carriers and this makes it a joint ventures between the commission and the carriers to have a common objective to yield a mutual understanding for the overall interest of the Nigerian pilgrims, ‘’we must devote time to continue to pray to Allah subahanahu wa ta’ala because if we fail to make the entire airlift operation right, the multiplying effect will be so devastating on the entire aspect of the operation if we get it right by the grace of Allah we shall remain on track and chances are higher we’ll end up with a crown success’’.
The Chairman/CEO of the commission Alh. Zikhrullah Kunle Hassan on his part described the event as historic because it is the beginning of hajj 2022 and without flights, there won’t be hajj, he further congratulated the winners and console those who could not make it to this year to be patient and wait for next time.
Alh.Hassan also revealed that by next week Monday the advance team will depart to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while the inaugural flight will commence on the 9th, he, therefore, called on the three successful carriers to treat the pilgrims who are the guest of All as very important personalities (VIPs)
The three successful airlines have been allocated to specific states which they will handle and they includes: Max Air is to fly pilgrims from 13 states namely-Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and Taraba. Azman Air is entrusted with conveyance of pilgrims from 16 states and the Armed Forces. The states are Kano, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, and Yobe. Meanwhile, FlyNas would fly pilgrims from Edo, FCT- Abuja, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara- making eight states.
