National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) today met with representatives of airlines that airlifted Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj to find a lasting solution to the complication hindering settlement of the year’s Hajj ticket fees to the airlines.
The meeting, held at the Hajj House headquarters of the commission in Abuja, according to NAHCON’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, was a follow-up on the one held yesterday, had representatives of Aero Contractors, Max Air, Air Peace, Azman and FlyNas in attendance.
Usara informed that the air ticket fee for the 2023 Hajj was $2,026 at a concessionary rate of N456 to a Dollar with Nigerian pilgrims paying the sum of N923,856 as cost of return ticket.
“Unfortunately, by the time the Hajj airlift was concluded, the Dollar had already risen leading to the predicament. The Dollar volatility since then kept worsening the situation.
“Series of meetings held to resolve the matter had always ended in a log-jam with the airlines insisting for payment in Dollars as stated in the contract,” Usara stated.
She added that considering the protracted predicament, the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima intervened with an appeal to the airlines to accept payment of the airfare in Naira in the face of Dollar scarcity.
Speaking during the consultative meeting, NAHCON Commissioner Policy, Personnel Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Aliu Abdulrazaq, who led the deliberations recognised the airlines for their mutual understanding and demonstration of loyalty for a long-term partnership.
The commissioner then prayed that by the end of the meeting, both parties would reach a common ground.
In his remark at the meeting, Commissioner Operations, Prince Anofi Elegushi, observed that the outstanding payment was overdue and praised the airlines for their magnanimity.
He lamented that the reason for the stalemate was the insistence by the airlines to receive payment only in dollars, adding that a shift in this stance would hopefully end further delay in settling the debt.
Despite expressing their frustrations with the development, the airlines’ representatives, however, agreed with the proposed Naira payment and promised to work with NAHCON to end the logjam.
