FG approves four air carriers for 2025 hajj

The Federal Government has approved four airlines as official air carriers for Nigerian pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj exercise.

Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by the commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Fatima Usara.

Usara said the carriers were selected out of the 11 companies that submitted applications for the airlift of Nigerian Muslim pilgrims.

The selected airlines are Air Peace Limited, Fly-Nas, Max Air, and UMZA Aviation Services Limited.

According to the commission, the air carriers were screened and shortlisted by a team of 32 members that the NAHCON Chairman inaugurated on November 26, 2024.

In a related development, three excess cargo carriers were selected for this year’s Hajj operations.

They are Aglow Aviation Support Services Limited, Cargozeal Technology Limited, and Qualla Investment Limited.

The Aviation Screening Committee included representatives from State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, three members from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and one member each from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

READ ALSO: Rooting for Hajj with excellence in 2025

Usara disclosed that one member each was drawn from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Others were NAHCON Board members representing each country’s geopolitical zone, NAHCON Heads of Aviation, Procurement, Legal, Internal Audit, and Special Duties, and a Board Member representing the aviation industry.

“The Chairman congratulated the successful companies while urging them to fulfill their responsibilities as promised during the screening,” the statement added.

In another development, the NAHCON Chairman signed the 2025 Hajj Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on behalf of Nigeria.

The event was held on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to formalize the year’s Hajj engagements.

“On the NAHCON Chairman’s entourage were Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello; Chairman House Committee on Muslim Pilgrimage, Hon. Jafaru Muhammed Ali; Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Riyadh, Dr. Ibrahim Modibbo; Nigeria’s Consul General in Jeddah, Ambassador Mu’azzam I. J. Nayaya; and Ambassador Mahmud Lele from Foreign Affairs.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was represented by the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Abdulfatah Masahat, at the signing ceremony,” the statement noted.