The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has hinted that the suspension of Max Air domestic operations will not disrupt the ongoing Hajj airlift operation in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement on Thursday, NAHCON’s Information and Publications Division Deputy Director, Mousa Ubandawaki said: “Consequent upon the indefinite suspension of Max Air domestic operations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), it is imperative to clarify that the suspension does not and won’t affect the ongoing Hajj airlift operation in Saudi Arabia”.
The clarification by NAHCON came a few hours after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended Max Air Boeing 737 ( parts A3 and D43) aircraft from operation over safety concerns with immediate effect on Thursday.
In its immediate reaction, the airline said the concerns raised by the NCAA are being resolved, assuring passengers, including those with pending bookings, not to panic.
“We will try and see what we can do in the interim. It is not something major, and we will resolve it within a week. It is a safety issue, and we have to follow the process. It only shows that everybody is conscious of its responsibility”, Daily Trust quoted Max Air Executive Director, Shehu Wada to have said.
This year, over 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims participated in the just concluded hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
According to NAHCON, the clarification became necessary to assure pilgrims and their relatives about the import of the suspension order, which will affect the airline’s domestic air services only.
This, the agency said, is because the clampdown was on the Airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft, which has been the focus of the NCAA audit query for some time.
“The aircraft being used for airlift of Nigerian Pilgrims is not the same as the one on their domestic route,” NAHCON said, adding that the ongoing airlift of Nigerian pilgrims will continue undisturbed and that the airline will continue to utilise the slots allocated to it by the Saudi General Authority in Civil Aviation (GACA) unhindered.
“We want to thank all Nigerians and pilgrims for their patience and perseverance and to assure of the Commission’s commitment to airlift all Nigerian pilgrims to Nigeria in record time”, the statement said.
