Lagos zone: Airlift of 6,047 pilgrims begins August 4

The airlift of intending pilgrims from Lagos zone comprising Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Edo States and the Armed Forces will commence on August 4 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. A total number of 6,047 pilgrims would be airlifted from the zone alone by indigenous carrier, Med-View Airline and FlyNas, a Saudi Arabian […]

The airlift of intending pilgrims from Lagos zone comprising Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Edo States and the Armed Forces will commence on August 4 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

A total number of 6,047 pilgrims would be airlifted from the zone alone by indigenous carrier, Med-View Airline and FlyNas, a Saudi Arabian airline.

Med-View Airline would be deploying three aircraft – Boeing 767, which is configured to airlift 320 pilgrims; B747 configured for 460 pilgrims and another B777 configured to airlift 315 pilgrims – for the exercise.

Similarly, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it has put in place facilities to make the exercise hitch-free.

The South West Commissioner of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) disclosed during a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos that Med-View Airline would start the airlift on August 4 while FlyNas would commence on August 6.

Adeyemi gave the breakdown of the pilgrims as Lagos, 2316; Edo, 294; Oyo, 1100; Ogun, 1000; Osun, 962; while Armed Forces has 375 pilgrims that would perform the exercise.

 He explained that majority of the pilgrims would be airlifted by Med-View Airline while the Saudi Arabian air carrier would airlift pilgrims from Ogun and the Armed Forces.

Also, representative of the Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma at the meeting, Mr. Asizehi Musa who is the Terminal Manager, Hajj and Cargo stressed that FAAN is ready for the exercise.

He said the authority has activated all facilities for smooth running of the exercise, stressing that this would further improve quality service delivery for the pilgrims.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Government revealed that 18 of the intending pilgrims failed medical and pregnancy tests.

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdullateef AbdulHakeem who was also at the meeting said some of them later aborted the pregnancies in order to participate in the 2017 annual hajj exercise to Mecca.

“On our part, we are ready and prepared for the exercise and our intending pilgrims have been lectured on the dos and donts in the holy land”, he said.