The Head of Aviation at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Engineer Mohammed Goni, has said that Nigerian pilgrims will start returning to country from Saturday, August 17, after this year’s Hajj exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mr Goni stated this briefly at a pre-‘Arafat meeting with stakeholders in Makkah on Thursday night.
He said the first flight, Flynas Airline, which will take off at 07:00 on August 17 will convey Lagos pilgrims back to Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Hajj 2019: CSO lauds Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria over policies
He added that based on the first flight schedule submitted by Flynas, the first four flights will carry Lagos pilgrims while the fifth will carry Kebbi state pilgrims.
He urged pilgrims not to carry multiple hand luggage, as they stand better chance of implementing the rule.
“Time wasted on screening pilgrims with multiple hand luggage affects the take-off time of a flight.
“Once a flight is delayed, the others will be delayed as well,” Mr Goni noted.
It is expected that the two airlines that airlifted the pilgrims will take their stands at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, on August 16, in preparation for the return journey to Nigeria.
The air carriers are MaxAir and Flynas, as the third, Medview, could not make it due to lack of aircraft.
Mr Goni implored officials from state Pilgrim Welfare Boards and agencies to cooperate with the commission and ensure that pilgrims do not carry multiple hand luggage. “States have to do much in this regard.
“Officials have to lead by example,” he stated.
