The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is rolling over its 2025 airline and cargo partnerships for the 2026 Hajj operations, following the timetable set by Saudi authorities. Commissioner for Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, announced that to avoid delays in submitting credentials, NAHCON will extend the current contracts and inform relevant authorities of the rollover, with plans to issue addenda to the existing agreements.
In outlining the decision, Elegushi explained: “Last year we did advert which enables airlines companies to apply for the 2025 Hajj operations. We screened numbers of airlines, and they were shortlisted and four airlines were approved, and two cargo companies were also approved. So looking at the calendar of events, drawn by the Saudi authorities, we realized we may not be able to go through all the process again this year.
“If we intend to go for the process, we may not be able to submit the names of airlines to GACA on time. So, we decided to do a roll over, and relevant authorities have been written to inform them of our intention to do the roll over and probably come up with an addendum to the existing contract. That is what we intended to do inorder to fast track the whole process. So, it’s a kind of proactiveness so that we will not lag behind in the event of things in Saudi Arabia.”
Elegushi noted that the 2025 cycle included four airlines—three domestic operators and one foreign carrier under a BASA (Bilateral Air Services Agreement) with Saudi authorities. He named Max Air, Air Peace, and Umza as domestic carriers, and FlyNas as the foreign partner representing the BASA agreement. He highlighted their performance, saying, “These were the four airlines we engaged last year and they performed very well. Based on their performance, we believe there is enough for us to ride on their experience and performance on the last Hajj operations.”
On the cargo side, NAHCON previously partnered with Zeal Technologies (Cargo Zeal Technologies) and Kaola Investment. The commission plans to re-engage these two cargo operators for the 2026 Hajj operation, signaling a preference for continuity based on demonstrated reliability.
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The rollover approach aligns with the Saudi authorities’ tightly scheduled Hajj timeline. By preserving the established airline and cargo partnerships, NAHCON aims to streamline approvals and ensure a smoother operational timeline for Nigerian pilgrims.
Industry observers say the rollover could minimize disruption and leverage the proven performance of the 2025 partners, just as critics may question whether new entrants or alternative carriers could offer improved efficiency or costs in a time-sensitive market.
NAHCON did not announce changes to the scope of services, passenger capacity, or cargo allocations beyond reaffirming the rollover. The Commission indicated that further details would be shared with airlines, cargo operators, and other stakeholders once the addenda are finalized.
As the 2026 Hajj season approaches, all eyes will be on how NAHCON balances efficiency, compliance with Saudi timelines, and the needs of Nigerian pilgrims in what is shaping up to be another tightly managed season.
