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.
He said, “Our local airlines after several negotiations accepted the sum of $250 to the increase in the cost of air tickets for this year’s operation. We are still looking for all avenues to resolve the attendant consequences of this money. We are still paying earnestly for a quick and peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan so that the airspace could be open and there will be a stop to the mindless killing of the people of Sudan.
“At NAHCON, we are looking for all ways to ensure that we resolve the issue of this additional cost. We have decided that whatever decision we will take, it will not require the pilgrims to pay additional funds into the hands of the respective pilgrim boards in their state. They will not need to pay more money.”
Zikrullah also recalled that the commission realised that there were two additional service charges of $63 from Saudi Arabia which were not captured during earlier negotiations ahead of the announcement of the final fare.
He said NAHCON had already written to the Ministry of Hajj calling attention to the increase, adding that “we are hoping for a positive response”.
The NAHCON boss also said the commission “has decided not to add this burden to our intended pilgrims “.
Zikrullah said the commission was now a self-sustainable entity which does not enjoy government sponsorship, noting that the commission rather generates revenue for the government.