Nigeria has begun reviewing its bilateral air services arrangements with Saudi Arabia as the Federal Government seeks to secure a larger share of Hajj passenger airlift for Nigerian airlines.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo announced the review on Thursday, September 17, after a meeting with aviation and Hajj stakeholders on preparations for the forthcoming pilgrimage.
A joint technical team has been tasked with reviewing the 1978 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia and a 2015 memorandum of understanding covering the annual airlift of Nigerian pilgrims.
Government seeks larger share for Nigerian airlines
According to Keyamo, the meeting focused on ways to negotiate a larger quota of Nigerian pilgrims for transportation by Nigerian flag carriers.
The minister said the government also wants Nigerian pilgrims to receive fair treatment throughout the airlift process.
The initiative follows a directive from Vice President Kashim Shettima concerning the aviation strategy for the forthcoming Hajj operation.
The review does not itself change the existing air services agreement or guarantee Nigerian airlines additional slots. Rather, it provides the technical basis for subsequent discussions with Saudi authorities.
What the 1978 BASA does
A Bilateral Air Services Agreement establishes the framework under which airlines from two countries can operate international air services between them.
Nigeria’s aviation ministry says its Air Transport Management Department is responsible for negotiating and reviewing BASAs and monitoring their implementation in cooperation with relevant aviation agencies. Saudi Arabia is among the countries with which Nigeria has reviewed or renegotiated air services arrangements.
The Nigeria-Saudi agreement dates back to 1978, making the current review part of a broader effort to examine whether the existing framework reflects present aviation conditions.
The separate 2015 memorandum deals specifically with arrangements concerning the sharing of responsibility for transporting Nigerian Hajj pilgrims.
Hajj airlift is a major part of pilgrimage planning
Moving thousands of Nigerian pilgrims between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia requires coordination among aviation authorities, airlines, NAHCON, state pilgrims’ welfare boards and Saudi authorities.
Airline selection, passenger allocations, flight schedules, airport arrangements, regulatory approvals and Saudi requirements all have to be coordinated before operations begin.
For 2027, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has already approved five carriers for the pilgrimage airlift: Air Peace, Flynas, Max Air, Saudi Air and UMZA Aviation Services.
NAHCON said the selection followed screening based on safety, operational capacity and financial requirements. The approval remains subject to execution of airlift agreements and compliance with requirements set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Five airlines approved for 2027 Hajj
NAHCON announced the five approved carriers in August as part of its early preparations for the 2027 pilgrimage.
The list includes two Nigerian airlines, Air Peace and Max Air, alongside Flynas, Saudi Air and UMZA Aviation Services.
Passenger allocations and schedules are expected to be worked out with state pilgrims’ welfare boards and the participating operators.
NAHCON also said the carriers must comply with Hajj regulations, including requirements concerning safety, baggage and the use of the Nusuk-Masar system for pilgrim ticketing and data.
The Federal Government’s latest BASA review is therefore taking place while the operational planning for the next Hajj is already underway.
Nigeria has already started 2027 Hajj preparations
The 2027 pilgrimage preparations are considerably further along than a simple airline-selection exercise.
NAHCON has announced approved fares for intending pilgrims, with prices varying according to departure zones.
The commission set the fare at ₦7,560,822 for the Maiduguri/Yola zone, ₦7,672,822 for the Northern zone and ₦7,882,822 for the Southern zone.
NAHCON has also set September 26, 2026 as the deadline for completing the upload of intending pilgrims’ biometric information on the Nusuk-Masar platform, while states are expected to complete remittance of Hajj fares by December 2.
The deadlines demonstrate why aviation arrangements are being addressed well before the pilgrimage itself.
What a larger Nigerian airline quota could mean
If negotiations result in additional allocations for Nigerian carriers, more Nigerian airlines could participate in transporting pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia.
That could affect how passenger allocations are distributed among participating airlines and how states and pilgrims are assigned to flights.
However, the current review should not be interpreted as confirmation that additional slots have already been granted.
The government is still reviewing the agreements and preparing to engage Saudi authorities.
The number of passengers that Nigerian carriers eventually transport will depend on the outcome of those discussions and the applicable Hajj arrangements.
Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have discussed BASA before
The latest review follows earlier discussions between Nigerian and Saudi aviation authorities.
In April 2026, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia held talks on reviewing their bilateral air services agreement, with discussions focused on updating the framework and addressing operational issues affecting airlines from both countries, including the Hajj airlift.
The September announcement therefore represents a continuation of discussions rather than an entirely new aviation issue.
The renewed focus comes as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 pilgrimage and seeks to determine how much of the passenger airlift can be handled by domestic carriers.
Saudi approval remains part of the process
Nigerian airlines operating Hajj flights must also meet Saudi aviation requirements.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation operates an electronic process for Hajj flight-operation approvals, allowing air carriers to submit applications and track approval through its designated system.
This means that securing a larger Nigerian allocation involves coordination between the Nigerian government, NAHCON, Nigerian aviation regulators, airlines and Saudi authorities.
An agreement between the two governments alone would not remove the need for individual carriers to satisfy the applicable operational and regulatory requirements.
What happens next
The immediate next step is the work of the joint technical team reviewing the 1978 BASA and the 2015 memorandum.
The team is expected to provide the technical basis for diplomatic engagement with Saudi authorities.
The government will then have to negotiate any changes or additional arrangements with the Saudi side.
For Nigerian pilgrims, the outcome could affect the eventual distribution of Hajj airlift among carriers, but the government has not yet announced that additional slots have been secured.
The broader issue is Nigeria’s attempt to align its bilateral aviation framework with the current needs of its airlines and the logistics of transporting pilgrims.
As preparations for the 2027 Hajj continue, the BASA review will be one of several processes determining how Nigerian pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia and which airlines carry them.
For now, the government has started the review. The actual increase in Nigerian-carrier airlift will depend on the negotiations that follow.
Community
Comments
Keep discussion respectful and relevant. Comments never affect rewards.
No comments yet. Start a respectful conversation.