TheCable

The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has explained measures put in place to offset the $250 additional cost for the pilgrims’ hajj journey to Saudi Arabia.

In a statement on Monday, Moisa Ubandawaki, NAHCON’s deputy director of information, said the Sudan crisis resulted in the closure of its airspace.

Consequently, he said the Hajj flights will operate through alternate routes which are from “one hour 40 minutes to three hours longer”, depending on the departure points in Nigeria.

The airlines commissioned for the task are Air Peace, Azman Air, Max Air, and Aero Contractors.

Ubandawaki, speaking on the alternate route, said, the airlines will fly through the airspace of Cameroun, Central African Republic (CAR), Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, with an additional cost of aviation fuel and over-flight charges.

To cover the funding of the extra cost, he said the commission resolved to solicit the federal government’s support to waive the remaining 35 percent of aviation charges due to the airlines, which would translate to $55. 

“This would further alleviate the additional cost of the airfare for the Nigerian pilgrims. The government had earlier waived 65 percent of the aviation charges to bring down the cost of hajj. With this development, the $250 addition negotiated with the airlines will be reduced by $55,” he said.

Ubandawaki added that the liability of the remaining $195 will be borne by the 75,000 pilgrims, saying the cost was further reduced to $117 per passenger.

“To offset the $117 without causing additional financial obligations on the pilgrims, the commission resolved to reduce the basic travelling allowance (BTA) for 2023 hajj pilgrims to the sum of $700 against $800 provided in the hajj package already paid by the pilgrims,” Ubandawaki said.

“As for the remaining $17, NAHCON has further sought understanding of the air carriers to offer that amount as additional discount to Nigerian pilgrims who are also victims of the Sudan airspace closure.

“We, however, hasten to clarify that should the Sudanese airspace be cleared for normal flights — either before the commencement of the airlift or at any point of the operation — appropriate refunds will be made to the pilgrims.”

Zikrullah Hassan, chairman of NAHCON, had assured that the additional $250 surcharge agreed upon by the airlines for the airlifting of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia would not be borne by them.

Hassan had said the airlines made the request to increase the fare due to the shutdown of Sudan’s airspace (a route for the airlines).

Due to the Sudan crisis, the four airlines had earlier declined to sign the agreement to transport prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia; but they backtracked a few days later, signing an agreement with NAHCON.