The Nigerian airlift for the 2023 Hajj is currently on its seventh day and has taken more than 33 planes.
The airlift of pilgrims has been completed for the states of Plateau, Benue, and Nasarawa, while other states are also making solid progress. You may remember that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) this year raised the number of its air carriers to five.
However, NAHCON recognizes that one of the Commission’s contracted air carriers that was transporting Jigawa State pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj experienced a technical issue.
The airplane was forced to make a brief landing at Kano’s Aminu Kano International Airport due to the incident, which was brought on by an unavoidable natural turbulence produced by heavy rain.
Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, the Chairman of the Commission, assures Nigerian pilgrims, especially those affected by the unavoidable development, that the situation has been well managed and will not cause a delay in the flow of pilgrims to Mecca for the Hajj.
When this press release was being written, NAHCON had already finalized plans for any flight cancellations or delays that would interfere with the seamless flow of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
So far, over 14,000 pilgrims are safely in Madinah and the number of flights transporting pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will also increase in a couple of days.
The procedure is proceeding according to schedule, with backup plans put in place in case of any unforeseen events.
Therefore, aspiring pilgrims are urged to always be prepared for an impending trip for Saudi Arabia.
The public will be kept informed as necessary about the operation’s development by NAHCON.
