The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards have fixed May 9, 2025, as the date for the inaugural airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.

Also, return flights from Saudi Arabia are tentatively scheduled to commence on June 13 and conclude on July 2, 2025.

The agreement followed a strategic meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja between NAHCON leadership and Executive Secretaries of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, convened under the Forum of States to evaluate preparedness levels across the country.

Speaking, NAHCON Chairman Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman said the Hajj industry is in the last lap of preparation before the commencement of the 2025 Hajj season.

He called on the states to update NAHCON on the level each state has reached in Visa production, vaccination, bags procurement, and other sundry matters.

During the meeting, Commissioner Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi disclosed that Air Peace has been assigned 5,128 pilgrims cumulative from Abia state, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Armed Forces, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Rivers, and Taraba

FlyNas, on the other hand, was allocated 12,506 pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT Abuja), Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.

FlyNas is bringing in nine aircraft for the operation.

Max Air is airlifting pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo, and Plateau states.

The airline promised to conclude an airlift of its 15,203 pilgrims by the 24th of May.

The airline will deploy a B747 with 400 capacity and the second aircraft with a 560 capacity for its operation.

Umza has been allocated 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Yobe states.

Umza is deploying two aircraft a B747 with 477 capacity and a B777 with 310 capacity.

The 2025 Hajj airlift distribution was calculated on a total of 43,000 pilgrims.

The Commissioner Planning Research Statistics Information & Library Services (PRSILS), Prof Abubakar Yagawal, informed the house of the level of the Commission’s preparedness in terms of clinics secured in Makkah and Madinah, distribution of Yellow Cards to states, and reminded them not to enroll pregnant women for the Hajj exercise.