The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has sustained the successful return airlift of pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with two additional flights conveying a total of 997 pilgrims from Jeddah to Kano following the completion of the 2026 Hajj exercise.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Board, Sulaiman Abdullahi Dederi, said addressing the departing pilgrims in Makkah, the Director General of the Board, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the return operations.
He assured that all remaining Kano pilgrims would be transported back home within the next one or two days.
According to the Director General, the first flight, operated by UMZA Air with Flight No. UY 3584, departed Jeddah at exactly 3:43 a.m., carrying 484 pilgrims. The second flight, operated by Max Air, Flight No. VM273, took off at 12:22 p.m. with 513 pilgrims on board.
The pilgrims transported in the two flights were drawn from Bichi, Bagwai, Dawakin Tofa, Gezawa, Minjibir, Makoda, Ghari, Gabasawa, Dambatta, Rimin Gado, Madobi, Kabo, Garko, Ajingi, Wudil, and Kiru Local Government Areas of Kano State.
Matawalle commended the pilgrims for their patience, discipline, and cooperation throughout the Hajj exercise. He also prayed for their safe journey and a successful reunion with their families upon arrival in Kano.
The Director General was accompanied during the farewell ceremony by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Alhaji Yusuf Lawan; the Permanent Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Mukhtar; the Director of Hajj Operations; and other operational staff.
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