The national hajj commission of Nigeria (nahcon) retorted on yesterday’s promise that pilgrims would not pay additional fees as a result of the $250 increase in airfare.
The local airlines involved in hajj operations had requested that the fare be increased by $250 due to the crisis in Sudan, which would require a longer journey time to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Since the crisis began in April, Sudanese airspace has been closed. However, zikrullah Hassan, the chairman of Nahcon, assured the pilgrims that they would not be required to pay the additional cost, speaking in Abuja during a training session for Nahcon, state pilgrim boards, and private tour operators.
However, deputy director of Information, nahcon, mousa ubandawaki, said in a statement yesterday that the commission decided that the pilgrims would pay 40 percent ($100) of the increase in airfare after the federal government subsidized flights for the airlift.
