Hajj 2027: FG Moves to Secure More Airlift Slots for Nigerian Airlines
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
The Federal Government has commenced moves to secure a larger share of the 2027 Hajj airlift for Nigerian airlines as part of efforts to strengthen the role of domestic carriers in transporting Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this following a stakeholders’ meeting convened in Abuja on the forthcoming Hajj operation.
Keyamo said the meeting followed a directive from Vice President Kashim Shettima on Nigeria’s Hajj aviation strategy and was attended by the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku; Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mahmud Adamu Kambari; and Hajj airline operators.
According to the minister, the meeting focused on ways to negotiate a larger quota of pilgrims for airlift by Nigerian flag carriers while ensuring Nigerian pilgrims receive fair treatment.
“We discussed ways by which we can negotiate more quota of pilgrims to be airlifted by our flag carriers for Hajj operations whilst ensuring Nigerian pilgrims are treated with the fairness and respect they deserve,” Keyamo said.
He disclosed that a joint technical team had been constituted to review the 1978 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, as well as a 2015 Memorandum of Understanding governing arrangements for the annual airlift of Nigerian pilgrims.
Hajj 2027: FG Moves to Secure More Airlift Slots for Nigerian Airlines
“A joint technical team has now been tasked with reviewing the 1978 BASA and 2015 MOU so we can diplomatically engage with Saudi authorities,” the minister said.
The review is expected to provide the basis for Nigeria’s engagement with Saudi authorities on arrangements affecting the participation of Nigerian airlines in Hajj airlift operations.
The BASA provides the framework for air services between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, while the 2015 MOU contains provisions relating to the sharing of the annual Hajj airlift.
The latest move comes as preparations for the 2027 Hajj gather pace, with aviation arrangements remaining a critical component of the annual pilgrimage operation.
The Federal Government’s intervention could therefore open a fresh phase of negotiations over the role and capacity of Nigerian airlines in transporting pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
