Flynas, a Saudi-designated Nigerian Hajj carrier, says it will begin to transport Ogun and Kebbi states pilgrims back to Nigeria on Thursday.
- +Ogun, Kebbi Hajj pilgrims return home Thursday, airline says
This is announced in a statement signed by Mr Mahmood Muhammad Abande of the Flynas Media Office on Tuesday.
This is announced in a statement signed by Mr Mahmood Muhammad Abande of the Flynas Media Office on Tuesday.
Abande noted that the inbound flights would be executed by six A330 wide-body Boeing aircraft deployed by the company.
“The first return flight will transport the first contingent of Ogun state pilgrims from the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to the newly established Gateway International Airport in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
“The second return flight will airlift the first batch of Kebbi state pilgrims from the Jeddah airport to Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, the same day.
“The following day, June 5, Flynas will conduct two additional flights from Jeddah airport to Abeokuta and Birnin Kebbi, respectively.”
Abande quoted the Managing Director/CEO of First Planet Travels Ltd., and General Sales Agent (GSA) for Flynas in Nigeria, Alhaji Umar Kaila, as saying that the airline had concluded arrangements to conduct a seamless operation in line with international best practices.
Kaila said during the outbound operation, Flynas had transported 11,342 pilgrims and officials to the holy land in 30 flights in record time of two weeks.
He said the airline had already delivered 13, 832 units of five-litre Zamzam water bottles to Nigeria ahead of the pilgrims return.
According to him, the airline will airlift pilgrims from Kebbi, Lagos, Osun, Kaduna, Niger, Ogun and Nasarawa states.
Also, the Flynas Coordinator of Operations, Malam Ahmad Ruma, had met with the airline ground staff in Makkah on Monday to review operational procedures, guidelines, and logistics ahead of the outbound operation.
Ruma urged the ground staff to uphold the professionalism and ethics for which the airline is known while carrying out their duties at the airport and pilgrims’ accommodation facilities in Makkah, particularly in the management of pilgrims’ luggage.
