By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A Saudi-designated Nigerian air carrier, Flynas says it will transport the first batch of Nigerian pilgrims back home on Saturday.
The Managing Director, First Planet Travels and General Sales Agent (GSA) of Flynas, Alhaji Umar Kaila, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
The statement said the maiden return flight would begin on Saturday by transporting pilgrims from Kebbi state from King AbdulAziz International Airport in Jeddah to Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA) in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
It could be recalled that Flynas performed the inaugural hajj flight from Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State on May 16. The airline transported its 19,908 allocated pilgrims to Madinah in 48 flights.
According to the statement, Mr Kaila said, “We are happy to announce that Flynas is fully set to begin the Phase Two of the airlift operation of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria from Saturday, June 22, 2024, with pilgrims from Kebbi State.
“Like we had a seamless airlift operation from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia during Phase One without any delay, we have made adequate arrangements to transport back our pilgrims back to Nigeria in a seamless and efficient manner.”
He said the airline has perfected arrangements to ensure a smooth and seamless return airlift operation from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.
Flynas would transport pilgrims from Kebbi, Lagos, Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe, Borno, Osun, Ogun, and Niger states back to Nigeria in the second leg of the operation.
The Flynas managing director said the airline would conduct the return operation in 49 flights with five aircraft.
The statement also quoted the Makkah Coordinator of the airline, Malam Ahmad Ruma, saying that the ground staff of Flynas have started processing Kebbi state pilgrims in their accommodations in the holy city of Makkah Makkah.
“Our staff have already processed the Kebbi state pilgrims for the first return flight. They met them in their accommodations in Makkah, manifested them in the aircraft, weighed and tagged their 32-kg luggage, among others,” Mr Ruma said.
The Makkah coordinator said the airline has also started processing pilgrims from Lagos state for the return journey.
Flynas is one of the three airlines engaged by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to transport over 50,000 state pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for 2024 hajj pilgrimage.
The two others are Max Air and Air Peace.