A potential crisis is brewing as Saudi Arabian authorities have reportedly denied landing permits to Nigerian airlines scheduled to transport pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj, citing non-compliance with a bilateral air agreement.
The inaugural flight, which was expected to commence today, has been stalled due to Saudi Arabia’s insistence that 50 percent of Nigeria’s pilgrims must be transported by Saudi-designated carriers, in line with the existing airlift agreement.
A senior official of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), who spoke to HAJJ REPORTERS under anonymity, described the situation as critical, expressing concern that the delay could jeopardize the entire Hajj operation.
“We’ve been negotiating with them for four days, but they are adamant. They want to enforce the agreement strictly, giving their airline half of our pilgrims,” the source told Hajj Reporters
“We owned the pilgrims, and they want to dictate to us the numbers to allocate to their airline?
The official added that NAHCON has reached out to the office of Nigeria’s Vice President to escalate the matter diplomatically. “It’s now a government-to-government issue. Without quick intervention, thousands of Nigerian pilgrims may miss this year’s Hajj,” he said.
As of press time, no airline has taken off from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj
Though no official statement had been released by NAHCON or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
