NAHCON Sets July 2 Deadline for Return Flights as 2025 Hajj Airlift Begins May 9
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has finalised plans for the airlifting of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj, announcing that all return flights will be completed by July 2, 2025.
This was disclosed during a strategic meeting held on Wednesday at the Hajj House in Abuja with the Executive Secretaries of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and representatives of approved airlines. The session was aimed at evaluating the readiness of each state for the upcoming pilgrimage.
NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, emphasized the importance of this final phase of preparation, urging states to provide updates on critical areas such as visa processing, vaccination, luggage distribution, and other logistics.
The inaugural outbound flight is scheduled for May 9, with the outbound airlift set to conclude by May 24. Inbound (return) flights are planned to begin on June 13, wrapping up by July 2.
Airline Allocations for 2025 Hajj
- Air Peace will airlift a total of 5,128 pilgrims from states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Rivers, Taraba, as well as pilgrims from the Armed Forces.
- FlyNas is tasked with transporting 12,506 pilgrims from FCT (Abuja), Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. The airline will deploy nine aircraft for the operation.
- Max Air will handle the largest number of pilgrims, airlifting 15,203 pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo, and Plateau states. The airline will use a B747 (capacity: 400) and another aircraft with a capacity of 560 to complete the operation by May 24.
- Umza Air has been allocated 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states. The airline will operate with a B747 (capacity: 477) and a B777 (capacity: 310).
The allocation was calculated based on the overall total of 43,000 pilgrims registered for the 2025 Hajj under the state quota system.
Meanwhile, Prof. Abubakar Yagawal, Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS), assured stakeholders of NAHCON’s preparedness. He confirmed that clinics have been secured in Makkah and Madinah, Yellow Cards distributed to states, and reiterated the directive that pregnant women must not be enrolled for the Hajj.
