Makkah: The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has attributed the slow pace of the inbound flights of Nigerian pilgrims back home to the surge in the demand for airport slots.
The commission said all the countries requested the slots to return their pilgrims simultaneously.
NAHCON said this in a Wednesday statement issued by its Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Hajiya Fatima Usara, in Makkah.
According to Usara, Nigeria has not been allocated as many slots as needed to quickly move its large number of pilgrims.
She said, “Given this, the three major stakeholders in the airlift operation have mapped out strategies to increase the number of slots in the country.
“It is hoped that active discussions with the Saudi authorities will facilitate increased flight slots.
“FlyNas is the only airline currently running two flights per day. NAHCON plans to seek more convenient slots for UMZA Aviation, Air Peace, and Max Air.
“With large-bodied aircraft, the pace of the return journey will increase significantly, and more flights will be scheduled daily.
