Hajj pilgrims stranded as aircraft develops fault in Saudi Arabia

News Express |16th Aug 2016 | 2,387

An aircraft owned by Max Air, one of the airlines designated for this year’s hajj operations to Saudi Arabia, has developed technical problem.

Max Air is the official ‎airline designated to airlift pilgrims from Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

The technical problem has led to the delay in airlifting intending pilgrims from Zamfara and Sokoto states by a day.

An official of the airline, who spoke ‎on condition of anonymity, said that if not for the technical problem, the aircraft would have airlifted pilgrims from Zamfara State on Sunday and pilgrims from Sokoto Monday.

The Director General of Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA), Ibrahim Umar, who confirming the development, disclosed that as a result of the fault, the airplane that was scheduled to airlift pilgrims from Kebbi state will now airlift pilgrims from Tambuwal, Yabo and Kware local government areas of the state.

Medview, Max Air and Saudi Arabian Airline, Fly Nas, were approved to airlift Nigerian pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia for the 2016 hajj exercise.

The three airlines that signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian and Saudi Arabian governments made the list after a comprehensive selection process carried out by the Nigerian and the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA).

•Source: BusinessDay Nigeria.