The Federal Government has begun reviewing Nigeria’s 1978 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Saudi Arabia in an effort to secure more Hajj airlift slots for Nigerian airlines.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Thursday after a meeting with key stakeholders on the country’s Hajj aviation arrangements.
Keyamo said the meeting followed a directive from Vice President Kashim Shettima concerning preparations for the forthcoming Hajj operation.
Those at the meeting included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mahmud Adamu Kambari; Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Ismail Abba Yusuf; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku; and representatives of airlines involved in Hajj operations.
According to the minister, discussions focused on securing a larger share of Nigerian pilgrims for local flag carriers to transport during Hajj.
He said the government was also concerned about ensuring that Nigerian pilgrims received fair treatment throughout the airlift process.
To achieve this, a joint technical team has been established to review both the 1978 BASA and the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
The government intends to use the outcome of the review as a basis for diplomatic discussions with Saudi authorities on increasing the number of pilgrims that Nigerian airlines can airlift.
The BASA provides the framework governing air services between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, while the 2015 MoU contains arrangements relating to the sharing of the annual airlift of Nigerian pilgrims.
The latest development comes ahead of the 2027 Hajj operation, for which NAHCON has already approved five airlines: Air Peace Limited, Flynas, Max Air Limited, Saudi Air and UMZA Aviation Services Limited. The commission said passenger allocations and flight schedules would be worked out with the relevant state pilgrims’ welfare boards and operators.
NAHCON also stated that the approved airlines must meet the requirements of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), as well as comply with applicable Hajj safety and operational regulations.
The Federal Government’s review is therefore expected to focus on the existing framework for allocating Hajj airlift opportunities between Nigerian and foreign carriers.
If the negotiations result in additional allocations for Nigerian airlines, more Nigerian pilgrims could be transported to Saudi Arabia by local carriers during future Hajj operations.
The government has also indicated that the process is intended to strengthen the participation of Nigerian airlines in the Hajj airlift market while ensuring that pilgrims receive efficient and fair transportation services.
