From: Kehinde Aderemi, Mecca
The inaugural return flight of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia has commenced
The airlifting commenced, on Wednesday, via Flynas Airline with pilgrims from the Federal capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, comprising 485 pilgrims and eleven officials.
Chairman of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed, disclosed this in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at the 2017 hajj post-Arafat meeting with stakeholders on hajj operations.
Mohammed said the commission would insist on its policy of first to arrive Saudi kingdom for the hajj, and first to be airlifted back home and therefore urged all Nigerian pilgrims to be patient as all of them would be airlifted back home within the stipulated and scheduled time.
Meanwhile, the managing director and chief executive officer of MedView airline, Muneer Bankole, said his airline has added another aircraft, a Boeing 747, to its fleet to ensure a smooth and hitch-free out-bound operations.
Bankole also disclosed that MedView Airline had made available zam zam water free of charge to all his pilgrims, which according to him, had been delivered to all state offices of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria( NAHCON) for deliverance to all the pilgrims on arrival at their various destinations, while their luggages would also be delivered to them on return.