No rejection, no safety issue – Ogun clarifies Hajj flight rearrangement

The Ogun State Government has dismissed arsenic mendacious a media study alleging that Saudi airline, Flynas, rejected the Gateway International Airport, Iperu, for the proscription of Ogun pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj exercise.

In a connection signed by the Special Adviser connected Information and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, the authorities described the work by The Punch titled “Pilgrims stranded arsenic Saudi hose shuns Ogun airport” arsenic misleading and a distortion of facts.

According to the government, the relocation of the 2nd batch of pilgrims from the Gateway International Airport was not owed to immoderate safety, operational, oregon infrastructural situation astatine the facility. Rather, it resulted from the inability of Saudi aviation authorities to unafraid 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 accommodation successful formation arrangements.

The connection explained that the announcement of the scheduling situation came hardly 2 weeks earlier the planned operations, compelling NAHCON to redirect the affected pilgrims to the Murtala M...