The third flight carrying 291 Lagos State intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj has safely landed at King AbdulAziz International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.
EpeInsights learnt that the FLYNAS Airbus A-330-300, with registration number XY8416, departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja at 5:07 p.m. Nigerian time, carrying a total of 386 passengers. Of these, 143 were male and 148 female pilgrims from Lagos, along with 95 passengers from Osun State.
The aircraft touched down in Saudi Arabia at 1:45 a.m. local time.
With this third flight, a total of 1,062 Lagos State pilgrims have now been airlifted to Saudi Arabia, out of the 1,432 registered for this year’s pilgrimage. The remaining 372 pilgrims are expected to depart before Saturday, May 17.
Before their departure, the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Amir-ul-Hajj, Hon. Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode, addressed the pilgrims, reiterating the welfare packages promised by the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.
These packages include payment for Hadiyah (sacrificial rams), monetisation of Ihram clothing, transportation for Ziyarah (visits to historical sites), and more.
Layode assured the pilgrims that all the promises would be fulfilled once they had arrived in Saudi Arabia. He also urged them to adhere to the rules and regulations during their stay, emphasizing that their behavior should reflect positively on Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.
Meanwhile, the fourth flight, which was initially scheduled for Friday, has been cancelled and rescheduled to depart on Saturday, May 28.
