NAHCON Assures Timely Return of Nigerian Hajj Pilgrims Amid Delayed Airlift Concerns

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has assured that the return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia will be completed within the time frame approved by Saudi authorities, despite concerns over delays in the ongoing operation.

NAHCON gave the assurance on Saturday following reports that about 21,541 pilgrims were still waiting to be flown back to Nigeria after completing the 2026 Hajj exercise.

The commission explained that the return schedule depends on flight slots allocated to designated airlines by Saudi aviation authorities. It also confirmed that 19 states, including Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, and others, had not yet fully commenced their return journeys.

According to NAHCON, about 17,347 pilgrims had already been transported back to Nigeria, while some states had completed their return operations, including Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara, and Plateau.

The commission said Lagos, Kebbi, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had achieved between 65% and 80% completion, while several other states were still at earlier stages of the process.

NAHCON attributed the uneven progress to its “first-in-first-out” scheduling policy, which is applied across airlines handling the pilgrim airlift. It added that states that departed Nigeria earlier are being processed first for return.

The commission also warned designated carriers—Max Air, Flynas, Air Peace, and Umza Air—to strictly adhere to the agreed 19-day window for completing the entire airlift operation. It said contingency measures would be activated if any airline fails to meet its obligations.

Chairman of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismaila Abba Yusuf, assured pilgrims and their families that no Nigerian pilgrim would be left behind beyond the approved deadline.

He also addressed concerns raised by some state delegations over perceived delays, noting that efforts were ongoing to ensure a smooth and timely return for all participants.

The airlift delays have caused concern among some state officials, who have urged faster processing of return flights, particularly for large contingents such as Kano State.

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