Lagos — The airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for this year's hajj from the southern zone was concluded at the weekend by Med-View Airline, seven days ahead of schedule.

The return journey home for the 13163 pilgrims airlifted to the holy land by the airline is expected to begin on December 1.

Med-View said in a statement at the weekend in Lagos that the operation was concluded successfully at the three departure points/airports allocated to the airline by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

The airline operated out of Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos, for the Lagos zone, with pilgrims from Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Edo states as well as members of the armed forces airlifted. Ilorin International Airport was used for Ilorin zone airlift comprising of pilgrims from Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti states. And for the first time in recent years, pilgrims were airlifted to Saudi Arabia from Port Harcourt international Airport, which served pilgrims from the entire south-south and south east regions.

Speaking in Lagos at the end of the operation, Med-View Airline Managing Director, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, thanked the pilgrims for their orderly conduct and cooperation which he said contributed largely to the success of the airlift operation.

He equally commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and the respective state pilgrims' welfare boards for organizing a hitch free exercise and promised that the airline would make the return journey beginning on December 1 also hitch free.

He explained that the successful operation would not have been without the excellent leadership given by the leader of the Nigerian pilgrims, the Amirul Hajj, Senator Kanti Bello.

No fewer than 85,000 Nigerian pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for the 2009 hajj.