Nigerian pilgrims bound for the 2026 Hajj were stranded for days after flynas (XY, Riyadh) allegedly declined to operate from newly commissioned airport Iperu, according to the newspaper Punch.
The daily claimed that the Saudi carrier had refused to land at the airport in Nigeria's Ogun State over unspecified technical concerns. ch-aviation has contacted flynas for comment.
Nigerian carrier MaxAir (Nigeria) reportedly stepped in to transport a batch of pilgrims from Iperu on May 10, while many others remained stranded.
The pilgrims told Punch they had received little official communication and were only informed by text message on May 13 that departures had been shifted to Lagos.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria had earlier announced that the inaugural Hajj flight would depart from Iperu aboard flynas, according to Punch.
