NAHCON warns airlines

03.01.2008

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Wednesday warned airlines involved in the transportation of pilgrims back to Nigeria against breach of their contractual agreements.

Emir of Daura and Chairman of the commi-ssion’s committee on out-bound flight, Alhaji Umaru Farouk, gave the warning on Wednesday at a meeting with officials of the airlines in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He said the commission would not hesitate to penalise any carrier which failed to meet its contractual agreement. Farouk said the Federal Government would not tolerate a situation where pilgrims were being left to suffer due to inefficiency of the airlines.

He also said he would remain in Saudi Arabia until the last pilgrim was transported back home. Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Musa Bello, had earlier said that 22,000 pilgrims had been transported back home since the operation began on December 24.

He said all pilgrims from Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo and Ekiti states had been transported back home. He also stated that due to the failure of Bellview airline to commence its return journey operation, the commission had hired another aircraft to transport the pilgrims affected by the failure.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) covering the Hajj reported that Bellview had not been able to commence operation because of the airline’s inability to secure a bigger aircraft.

It was yet to also get the approval for its slots from the Saudi aviation authorities. The airline was on Tuesday fined 100,000 dollars (N11.8 million) by the Hajj commission for the breach of contract.

Although an official of the airline had told NAN earlier that the airline would begin operation on January 1, it was yet to do so.