The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has announced a notable milestone in the 2025 Hajj operations, revealing that over 9,000 Nigerian pilgrims, representing 19% of the total intending pilgrims, have been airlifted within the first three days of the exercise.
This information was disclosed in a statement released on Monday by the Commission’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara.
The achievement marks a substantial leap from last year’s figure, where only 9% of pilgrims had been airlifted in the same period during the 2024 Hajj.
The 2025 airlift officially commenced on May 9, flagged off by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Imo State.
The event was historic, marking the first international operation ever conducted from the airport.
A total of 64,188 pilgrims are scheduled to be transported to Saudi Arabia this year.
NAHCON confirmed that flight operators have wrapped up the transportation of pilgrims from Kogi, Oyo, Imo, and Abia States.
However, a handful of “no-show” pilgrims will be catered for through mop-up flights.
“Air Peace has concluded the airlift of Kogi State pilgrims, transporting 559 out of the 564 scheduled,” the statement read. “Max Air has completed the airlift of Oyo State pilgrims with 1,083 pilgrims successfully conveyed to Saudi Arabia. Imo and Abia States have also completed their operations, with the exception of a few no-shows during the inaugural flight.”
UMZA Air, meanwhile, is putting the finishing touches on the transportation of Nasarawa State’s 944 pilgrims, with the final flight already positioned for departure.
The airline is set to begin the airlift of pilgrims from Kaduna State on May 14 with back-to-back operations.
FlyNas will commence the transportation of Sokoto pilgrims on May 13 and is expected to start Abuja operations on May 16, pending any changes to the schedule.
Air Peace is scheduled to begin moving Borno State pilgrims on May 18.
NAHCON Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, lauded the efforts of airlines, State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, and other stakeholders for facilitating a seamless and punctual start to this year’s Hajj operations.
Each pilgrim is reported to have paid an average of N8.4 million for the journey, bringing the total expenditure to approximately N539.1 billion.
The final outbound flight from Nigeria is projected to take off on May 24, while return flights are slated to begin on June 13 and wrap up by July 2, 2025.
As of the latest update, NAHCON has confirmed the completion of 23 flights, with 9,207 pilgrims successfully airlifted to Madinah.