Stakeholders in the Nigerian Hajj industry on Tuesday commended a Saudi Arabian-designated airline, Flynas, for its sustained service delivery since it started operations in Nigeria.
The stakeholders said the airline has reshaped the hajj industry by providing flawless services to hajj pilgrims in the country.
Flynas, a Saudi Arabian- designated airline for pilgrimage, has been in Nigeria since 2014 as part of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
The BASA agreement stipulates that Flynas is to transport between 40 to 50 per cent of Nigerian pilgrims for pilgrimage.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has allocated 28,515 intending pilgrims from Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Borno, Yobe, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states to the airline this year.
A pilgrim from Osun state, who identified himself as Alhaji Kamaru, told NAN that since “Flynas started operations in Nigeria in 2014, it has carved a niche for itself in timely transportation of all its allocated pilgrims.
“The culture of leaving pilgrims behind in Nigeria, or leaving them stranded for days at Jeddah or Madinah airports is now history with Flynas’s entry into Nigerian hajj operation.”
Another pilgrim from Borno State, Ms Fanna Modu, said the “seamless nature of Flynas operations is not only unprecedented but commendable. They have redefined the art of pilgrims airlift in Nigeria.”
A pilgrim official who spoke in confidence said “Flynas entry into the Nigerian hajj transportation ecosystem has improved the image of Nigeria in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”
He said since their debut in 2014, “the embarrassing protests by stranded Nigerian pilgrims in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia has ended.“
In his remarks, the Flynas Managing Director of the General Services Area (GSA) handling Flynas in Nigeria, Alhaji Umar Kaila, said the airline though is here on BASA, is contributing tremendously in the development of the industry.
He said the airline employs over 60 Nigerians as staff every year during hajj operations in the last nine years.
Mr Kaila said in spite of the competitive nature of the industry, Flynas provides secure slots from Saudi’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), as well as bank guarantees for Nigerian air carriers in Saudi Arabia.
“We are always handy to provide rescue operations when the local airlines face technical glitch – all in our efforts to ensure Nigeria records a seamless and successful hajj.
“We have the shortest stay at the airports. Whenever our pilgrims will have to stay up to eight hours, we take them to conducive hotels,” he said.
NAHCON has fixed May 25 for the inaugural flight with Nasarawa state pilgrims.
