Hajj: Med-View concludes transportation of 17,000 pilgrims

Med-View Airline, one of Nigeria’s official carriers for the 2017 Hajj operations on Thursday concluded the return transportation of pilgrims, who performed 2017 Hajj.

The Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole confirmed the development to newsmen in Lagos.

He said the last flight conveying pilgrims from the Eastern zone; comprising Enugu, Port Harcourt, among others, landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 7a.m.

Bankole disclosed that about 15, 000 pilgrims were returned home from Nigeria, while the other 2,000 were from Djbouti, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.

He said the airline, which deployed three aircraft for the exercise including B747-400, B777-200 and B767-300, had in the last 11 years of its foray into Hajj operations transported over 350,000 pilgrims, who performed the annual Hajj.

Bankole commended the stakeholders, including the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) management for their contributions towards the success of the exercise.

He said: “We airlifted about 15,000 from Nigeria including international passengers from Lagos, Kano and environs including the allocations from the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON).

“We have now gone international by airlifting pilgrims from Sudan, Guinea Bissau and Djibouti, if you add those ones, we have more than 17,000 pilgrims.

“The exercise has been successful by the grace of Allah. The way God has made it easier this year was wonderful.

“We thank everybody including the entire management of Hajj Commission and all the stakeholders as we hope for a better exercise in 2018.”

Our correspondent reports that Med-View Airline began the return journeys of the pilgrims on Sept.10 with a promise to compete the airlift in two weeks.