The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Thursday declared that the suspension of Max Air domestic operations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would not affect the ongoing homeward airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia back home.
The NCAA had on Thursday, through a letter, NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363, directed the suspension of Parts A3 and D43 with regards to the operation of Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft type with immediate effect.
The airline is one of the four Nigerian carriers approved to airlift Nigerian pilgrims from the 36 state pilgrims’ welfare boards, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the recently-concluded 2023 hajj exercise. The others are Air Peace; Azman Air and Aero Contractor.
Arik Air was approved to airlift the 20,000 pilgrims assigned to members of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON).
Reacting to the development, NAHCON, through a release signed by its Deputy Director, Information and Publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki, stated that the suspension did not and won’t affect the ongoing Hajj airlift operation in Saudi Arabia.
According to Ubandawaki, it was imperative to assuage and calm the pilgrims and their relatives back home that the suspension order was limited to Max Air’s domestic air services and not its charter and international operations.
“Consequent upon the indefinite suspension of Max Air domestic operations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), it is imperative to clarify that the suspension does not and won’t affect the ongoing Hajj airlift operation in Saudi Arabia.
“The clarification became necessary to assuage and calm the pilgrims and relatives back at home that the suspension order is limited to their domestic air services which does not affect their charter and international operations.
“This is because the clampdown was on the Airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft which has been the crux of the NCAA audit query for some time. The aircraft being used for airlift of Nigerian Pilgrims is not the same as the one on their domestic route,” he stated.
The Hajj body then assured Nigerians and the pilgrims in particular that the ongoing airlift back home would continue unhindered, adding Max Air would utilise the slots allocated to it by the Saudi General Authority in Civil Aviation (GACA) unhindered.
According to the release, “the Commission wishes to assure all Nigerians and the pilgrims in particular, that the ongoing airlift of Nigerian pilgrims will continue undisturbed and that the airline will continue to utilise the slots allocated to it by the Saudi General Authority in Civil Aviation (GACA) unhindered.
“We want to thank all Nigerians and pilgrims for their patience and perseverance and to assure of the Commission’s commitment to airlift all Nigerian pilgrims to Nigeria in record time.”
In another development, a total of 17,653 Nigerian pilgrims have so far departed Saudi Arabia for Nigeria as of 2:32 pm, Nigerian time (4:32 pm, Saudi time) on Thursday.
A total of 481 pilgrims, made up of 193 from Bauchi State, 291 from Plateau State and seven from Kano State, with 48 officials departed Jeddah for Bauchi aboard a Max Air flight on Thursday.
The pilgrims so far airlifted back home were brought back in a total of 45 flights since the inbound airlift operation began on Tuesday, July 4.
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