25th September, 2013
Max Air said it had transported 25,000 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia so far.
Its spokesman, Alhaji Ibrahim Dahiru, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
The airline is one of the air carriers selected for the 2013 Hajj operation.
Dahiru said that the airline was contracted to convey 40,527 pilgrims from 19 states of the country.
According to him, the company has completed the transportation of intending pilgrims from Lagos, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, FCT and Kogi states.
He said transportation was currently ongoing for pilgrims from Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe and Kebbi states.
Dahiru expressed optimism that the airline would complete the exercise, which commenced on September 19, in good time for the pilgrims to perform the Hajj.
He said that the intending pilgrims from Yobe could not go through Maduguri airport due to security reasons.
“Over 2000 pilgrims from Yobe will be transported from Kano,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the support and cooperation the airline had enjoyed from the respective states Pilgrims Welfare Boards and the intending pilgrims.
Dahiru attributed the successes recorded in the transportation of the pilgrims to the cooperation of all stakeholders.
In separate interview at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Alhaji Ahmadu Ali, the Amirul Hajj for Nasarawa State, commended the airline for a good job.
Ali, the Andoma of Doma, who spoke shortly before his departure to the Holy land, said that “all is set for intending pilgrims from Nasarawa for a stress-free hajj operation.
“We have a medical team from Nasarawa State that is ready with all medical needs of pilgrims, as far as accommodation and medical preparations are concerned, Nassarawa state is set.
“In Mecca, accommodation for Nasarawa state pilgrims has been arranged adequately.”
He said that all the intending pilgrims had been sensitised to the importance of adhering to the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia.
He dispelled accusations that some pilgrims who paid early for the Hajj operations, and who should be attended to first, had yet to be attended to.
“Sincerely, since my appointment as Amirul Hajj, such a complaint has not reached me. If there is such a problem I would have addressed it.
“I have not received such a complaint and I am sure, for over a week now as Amirul Hajj, I would have known if there was a thing like that.
“Since I have not heard, it is very unlikely.”
He commended MAX airline for not defaulting in its contract so far.