The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has set May 9, 2025, as the date for the first flight of the 2025 Hajj season.
This announcement followed a strategic meeting held on April 22, 2025, between NAHCON and the Executive Secretaries of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards under the Forum of States.
Evaluation of Readiness
The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the readiness of the state boards for the upcoming Hajj operations. NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, emphasized that preparations were nearing completion and urged state boards to provide updates on visa processing, pilgrim vaccinations, travel bag procurement, and other essential logistics.
Prince Anofiu Elegushi, Commissioner of Operations, shared details about the allocation of pilgrims to various airlines.
Air Peace will transport 5,128 pilgrims from states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and others.
FlyNas has been assigned 12,506 pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Ogun, and more, deploying nine aircraft for the task. Max Air will be responsible for 15,203 pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, and other states, utilizing two aircraft with capacities of 400 and 560 seats.
Umza Air will handle 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, and neighboring states with Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft. A total of 43,000 pilgrims are expected to participate in the 2025 Hajj airlift.
Updates on Health and Safety Measures
Professor Abubakar Yagawal, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS), also provided updates on the commission’s preparations.
He confirmed that clinics have been secured in Makkah and Madinah, Yellow Cards have been distributed to the states, and he reiterated the ban on pregnant women participating in the Hajj.
The meeting concluded with the agreement that outbound flights will begin on May 9 and continue until May 24, while return flights are tentatively scheduled to commence on June 13 and conclude by July 2.P
