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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Energy & Infrastructure

Ogun clarifies Hajj flight relocation, denies safety issues

From The Punch · (2h ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Ogun State Government refuted claims that Saudi airline Flynas rejected the Gateway International Airport for Hajj operations.
  • The government stated that the flight relocation was due to Saudi aviation authorities' inability to secure a landing slot for Nigeria's designated carrier, Max Air.
  • The first batch of pilgrims had successfully departed from the airport, which was commissioned in April 2026 and is fully certified for international operations.

The Ogun State Government has strongly refuted a recent media report alleging that the Saudi airline Flynas rejected the Gateway International Airport in Iperu for transporting pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj exercise. The government, through a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, described the publication as a misleading distortion of facts.

the relocation of the second batch of pilgrims from the Gateway International Airport was not due to any safety, operational, or infrastructural challenge at the facility.

— Ogun State GovernmentThe government's explanation for the flight relocation.

Clarifying the situation, the government explained that the relocation of the second batch of pilgrims was not due to any safety, operational, or infrastructural deficiencies at the Gateway International Airport. Instead, the issue stemmed from the Saudi aviation authorities' failure to secure a landing slot for Max Air, the Nigerian carrier engaged by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the airport's operations. This scheduling challenge, arising just two weeks before the planned flights, necessitated a redirection of affected pilgrims to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Rather, it was attributed to the inability of Saudi aviation authorities to secure a landing slot for Nigeria’s designated carrier, Max Air, which had been engaged by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for Gateway International Airport (GIA) operations, necessitating an adjustment in flight arrangements.

— Ogun State GovernmentThe specific reason provided for the flight schedule adjustment.

The government emphasized that Flynas did not reject the airport on grounds of safety or infrastructure. It highlighted that the first batch of pilgrims had departed successfully from the Gateway International Airport, marking a historic milestone. Commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on April 4, 2026, the airport is fully certified by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and meets ICAO standards, equipped with advanced navigation and weather monitoring systems capable of handling wide-body aircraft.

the notice of the scheduling challenge came barely two weeks before the planned operations, prompting NAHCON to redirect the affected pilgrims to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as a practical alternative.

— Ogun State GovernmentExplaining the short notice and the alternative arrangement.

This clarification underscores the state government's commitment to showcasing the Gateway International Airport as a viable international aviation facility. By addressing the report directly, Ogun State aims to dispel any doubts about the airport's capabilities and reassure stakeholders about its readiness for future international operations, including subsequent Hajj exercises.

Flynas did not reject the Gateway International Airport on grounds of safety, infrastructure deficiency, or operational limitation, contrary to claims in the report.

— Ogun State GovernmentDirectly refuting the media report's claims.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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