Growing anxiety has continued to unsettle intending pilgrims from Kano State following the prolonged delay in their airlift to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj exercise.

No fewer than 1,809 intending pilgrims, representing more than 50 per cent of Kano’s total contingent, are currently stranded in Nigeria awaiting the rescheduled flight, barely three days before Saudi Arabia’s airspace closure deadline.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) designed Max Air commenced airlift of 3,620 Kano pilgrims’ on Friday 15th May, with seven flights scheduled to complete in four days

In the reversed schedule, Kano first flight is scheduled for 15th Friday with 560 passengers, Second and Third flights scheduled for 16th Saturday with similar number of passengers while a single flight fixed to depart Kano on 18th Monday.

The carrier plans to conclude the Kano operation 19th Tuesday with three flights conveying the remaining intending pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Although, there were slight reschedule from the original plan affecting the 1st, 2nd and 3ed flights, not less than 1,811 passengers have successful conveyed to Saudi Arabia.

However, 24 hours after passengers of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh flights are yet to know their fate less than 72 hours to the termination of pilgrims’ arrival to Makka, a situation already provoking palpable fear among the intending pilgrims.

A cross section of the affected registered pilgrims lamented the level of uncertainty on the flight schedule and communication gap between the state pilgrims’ board and the airline.

In a separate conversation with The Guardian, the intending pilgrims worried that despite earlier remittance of over N8 million through the state board, inconsistent flights arrangement is casting doubt on the entire exercise.

They appealed on NAHCON and pilgrims’ board to consider urgent alternative arrangements before the closure of airspace to avoid any attempt capable of jeopardizing their intention to perform the fifth pillar of Islam.

Mohammad Isyaku who is sponsoring his mother on pilgrimage lamented the delay in the airlift of passengers to Saudi Arabia.

According to him, "We don’t know what is causing the delay and worsen still nobody is telling us why or the cause of the delay and whether we are traveling or not. My mother is being worried and kept asking me when are they going. I don’t even know what to tell him any more”.

Another concern intending pilgrim Ahmad Abubakar worried the shutdown in communication has left pilgrims hopeless. Abubakar regretted that “the delay is needless if proper flight arrangements were made for Kano”.

Effort to reach out to Director General Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alh Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, on the development was not successful as he was said to be busy with operations.

A credible source at the board who spoke on the condition of anonymity exonerated the state board from any fault in the flight delay. He asserted that NAHCON should be held responsible for flights operation hiccups or success.

"You should know that state board do not appoint airlines it is NAHCON who has the sole responsibility of screening and selecting carriers. The same thing applicable to flight schedules, and so they should be held responsible”. A reliable source said.

As at the time of filing the report, NAHCON is yet to react to the flight reschedule and subsequent delay of 1,809 pilgrims in Kano.

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