Flynas, a Saudi-designated Nigerian Hajj air carrier, has successfully transported over 55% of its allocated pilgrims back to Nigeria within one week.
The Managing Director of First Planet Travels and General Sales Agent (GSA) for Flynas in Nigeria, Umar Kaila, disclosed that the airline has airlifted 7,258 out of the 13,188 pilgrims assigned to it for the 2025 Hajj operations.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Jeddah, Kaila revealed that the pilgrims were transported back to Nigeria in 17 flights.
He added that all pilgrims from Osun and Ogun states have been safely airlifted home, and the airline expects to complete the airlift of Lagos state pilgrims by Sunday.
The breakdown of the pilgrims airlifted to their respective destinations is as follows:
– Lagos: 2,995 pilgrims
– Sokoto: 1,280 pilgrims
– Birnin Kebbi: 2,554 pilgrims
– Abuja: 429 pilgrims
Kaila thanked stakeholders, including NAHCON and pilgrims boards and commissions, for their cooperation, assuring that the second leg of the airlift would be as smooth as the first one.
Flynas started the second phase of the pilgrims airlift on June 13 and is operating from four airports: Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport Birnin Kebbi, Sultan Abubakar III International Airport Sokoto; and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.