2023 Hajj: Aero, Air Peace, Others Bid For Slots To Airlift Pilgrims
Eight domestic carriers and one foreign airline have so far indicated interest to airlift 95,000 intending pilgrims for the 2023 hajj exercise.
The nine local airline operators and Flynas, which is the only international airline submitted their bids at the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), on Wednesday.
The local airlines that participated in the bidding include Air Peace, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Azman, Max Air, Sky power Express, United Nigeria Airline and Value jet.
The chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Adekunle Hassan, speaking during the submission and inauguration screening of the committee for airline and cargo companies, stated that the inaugural flight for the pilgrimage is billed for May 21.
Hassan charged the screening committee to work day and night and present the selected airlines by March 7 to get presidential approval for the selected date.
Chairman of NAHCON explained that the committee is responsible for all technical issues regarding airport and aircraft and urged all intending pilgrims to conclude their registration with the state welfare board or the hajj savings scheme on or before March 7 adding “as the registration of this year will be closed in due course to meet with the deadline by the Saudi government.”
On his part, the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Shuaibu Nuhu, said all the aircraft must prove they have verifiable aircraft before they will be considered, stressing that any operator that does not meet its schedule during the exercise, without a reasonable excuse, would be penalised.
Nuhu revealed that some airports do not meet the basic requirement of operating big airports, which leads to waste of hours before they embark on the journey.
