Nigerian airlines Air Peace, Max Air, UMZA Aviation Services Limited, and Saudi-based Fly have received approval from the Presidency to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for this year’s Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Their approval as official air carriers for the 2025 Hajj operations was announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Sunday night in a release signed by the Commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, made available to Tribune Online.
According to the release, three cargo carriers, Aglow Aviation Support Services Limited; Cargozeal Technology Limited and Qualla Investment Limited, were also selected for this year’s Hajj operations.
According to Usara, “The Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman, is pleased to announce that the Presidency has approved four airlines as official air carriers for pilgrims of the 2025 Hajj.
“These 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 (in alphabetical order).”
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She stated that the air carriers were screened and shortlisted by a 32-member team inaugurated by the NAHCON Chairman on November 26, 2024.
The Aviation Screening Committee, according to her, was made up of representatives from State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, three members from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and one member each from Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
She added that while Nigerian Customs’ Service (NCS) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) had one member each, other members of the committee were NAHCON Board members representing each of the six geo-political zone of the country, the Commission’s Heads of Aviation, Procurement, Legal, Internal Audit, Special Duties as well as its board member representing the Aviation industry.
Usara stated that Prof Usman congratulated the successful companies and urged them to fulfill their responsibilities as promised during the screening.
In another development, the Hajj Commission on Sunday signed the 2025 Hajj Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
While NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Prof Usman signed on behalf of Nigeria, Saudi Arabia Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Abdulfatah Masahat, signed on behalf of the Kingdom.
The signing ceremony, according to Usara, was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to formalise the 2025 Hajj engagements.
On the NAHCON Chairman’s entourage to the event were Chairman l, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Muslim Pilgrimage, Hon. Jafaru Muhammed Ali; Nigeria’s Chargé de Affairs in Riyadh, Dr Ibrahim Modibbo; Nigeria’s Consul-General in Jeddah, Ambassador Mu’azzam I. J. Nayaya and Ambassador Mahmud Lele from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
