By Bunmi Yekini
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, has announced the approval of four airlines as official carriers for Nigerian pilgrims participating in the 2025 Hajj.
The approved carriers, Air Peace Limited, Fly-Nas, Max Air, and UMZA Aviation Services Limited, were selected from 11 companies that submitted applications. The rigorous selection process was overseen by a 32-member Aviation Screening Committee, inaugurated by the NAHCON Chairman on November 26, 2024.
The committee included representatives from State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), alongside NAHCON board members and officials.
Additionally, three excess cargo carriers, Aglow Aviation Support Services Limited, Cargozeal Technology Limited, and Qualla Investment Limited, were approved to manage pilgrims’ cargo.
Prof. Usman congratulated the successful companies, urging them to uphold their commitments during the Hajj operations.
In a related development, Prof. Usman signed the 2025 Hajj Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Jeddah on January 12, 2025. The agreement formalizes Nigeria’s Hajj engagements for the year.
Dignitaries at the signing included Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs; Jafaru Muhammed Ali, Chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Pilgrimage; Dr. Ibrahim Modibbo, Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Riyadh; and other key officials. The Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Abdulfatah Masahat, represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the event.