NAHCON sets date to begin Airlift of Pilgrims for 2025 Hajj

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said the airlift of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will begin on May 5, 2025.

The commission also announced the allocation of airlines for the 2025 Hajj airlift, saying a total of 71,274 pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s pilgrimage.

With the airlift responsibilities distributed among four airlines, a document released by NAHCON on Monday revealed that Max Air Ltd has the highest allocation, transporting 23,343 pilgrims, followed closely by Flynas, which will airlift 22,893 pilgrims.

Umza Air Ltd is expected to carry 15,893 pilgrims, while Air Peace has been assigned 9,145 pilgrims.

The allocation map released by the commission revealed that various states have been designated to different carriers, ensuring a structured and efficient transport process.

Recall that the Federal Government had approved four air carriers—Air Peace Limited, Flynas, Max Air, and UMZA Aviation Services Limited—for the airlift of pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj exercise.

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

NAHCON said the air carriers were screened and shortlisted by a team of 32 members that were inaugurated by the commission’s chairman on November 26, 2024.

Also, 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), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).