The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria on Saturday said the airlift of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will begin on May 25, 2023.
The commission also stated that the four local airlines to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj exercise have requested that the Hajj fare be increased by $250.
The Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Hassan Zikrullah, said this in Abuja during a one-day workshop for Hajj officials organised by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The event was hosted by NAHCON while officials of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah serve as resource persons.
Zikrullah said the airlines – Air Peace, Azman, Max Air and Aero Contractors – based the request on the crisis in Sudan, which they said would require a longer travel time to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The airlines had refused to sign the airlift agreement with NAHCON due to the additional financial cost of using another route.
The NAHCON CEO, however, assured that the pilgrims would not be asked to bear the additional cost.
