The Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation has extended the deadline for airlifting Nigerians to this year’s hajj to July 6th.
Concerns have been raised regarding the commission’s ability to convey all pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
The extension was necessitated by flight cancellations and delays caused by inability to secure Basic Travel Allowances (BTAs), insufficient funds for visas, and unavailability of PCR test results, according to a statement by the Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara.
Hajiya Fatima said just 13 of the 65 flights from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia had departed on time.
She urged would-be pilgrims to keep calm, as they would all be airlifted before the new deadline expires.
RN