By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has fixed August 3 as the target date for the completion of the in-bound flight to Nigeria by the airlines.

A statement on Thursday July 20 the, 2023, by Mousa Ubandawaki, NAHCON Deputy Director, information & Publications Division, also disclosed that over 42,256 of the 73,000 pilgrims have airlifted to Nigeria in 109 shuttles, two weeks into the commencement of the in-bound airlift into Nigeria.

He said the second phase operation which began on the 4th of July, 2023 with the airlift of 387 Sokoto pilgrims by Flynas after the completion of the symbolic stoning of the Jamrats.

He said the operation which was initially bedeviled by non-provision of slots to many of the Airlines except the Flynas which enjoyed considerable “home advantage” from the General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA) but it later picked up with the intervention of NAHCON Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, and the highest Authority in Nigeria to resolve the logjam.

According to Ubandawaki, since then, the airlift has been progressing smoothly and steadily, adding that, “with the pace at which we are going, hopefully, we would accomplish the airlift on our target date.

“Recall that the out-bound operation spanned a month with the inaugural flight held on 25th May 2023 at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja with the airlift of Nassarawa State Pilgrims and concluded on 24th June with the airlift of Niger State pilgrims and remainders of pilgrims from Kaduna and Kebbi states.”

In a related development, the second phase of the visit to Madina by less than 2000 Nigerian pilgrims who could not do so had commenced with the visitation by 365 (Batch 5) of Borno State pilgrims who were conveyed to the second Holiest city yesterday (Wednesday).

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