How's Hajj movement in Africa doing?

[ChiefT]

I wonder how the Hajj flights in Africa are doing.

I herad rumours about huge problems in Nigeria and Mauretania.

Anybody who knows more?

[Flying Touareg]

chief t, i m presently in Kano and the airport is rowdy with starnded pax. Apparently,they are those on the charter flights organised by various business men. The pax from the states in the north have been evacuated except those in the south and the state agencies are making frantic efforts to charter Kabo and Meridian.Kabo did well this year.

Saudi is closing the airport today but have given an extension till satuarday.We were meant to fly today but with the extension, we will wait till saturday.

But the usual hiccups still remain. Maybe when VK gets settled by next year, they should be able to handle the hajj.But you know your fellas at Kabo will try to frustrate them!

[soups]

The Majority of charters from Ghana were made on Jordan Aviation A310 (Same as Last year) Hajj Mabrouk to everyone:8

[Rani]

Hajj Moubarak everyone.

Typing this from Saudi, the holy land!

Local newspapers have confirmed the Sat. deadline for incoming hajj traffic.

Cheers everyone, safe flying+pilgrimage!

[PIA747]

I believe AIr Universal L1011 are flying out of Tripoli. What about Star air and Air Rum?

[Gunship]

PIA747 : I believe AIr Universal L1011 are flying out of Tripoli.

Lo Mate,

Yip saw the aircraft - saw the 100's of Pilgrim's and nobody complained. :ok:

I think Libyan Arab Airlines (new name Libyan Airline Company) also do a Hajj Run.

Hajj Moubarak to all our Muslim readers and posters :ok:

[Gunship]

:confused: :ouch:

Sad to say that I have never seen a well - organised Hajj from Sierra Leone or Ghana - always stranded pax.

Really hope it goes better this year.

[Flying Touareg]

BREAKING NEWS: The Nigerian President this afternoon ordered VK to divert all its a/c and airlift stranded pax to saudi arabia.What an impromptous way for VK to launch it maiden flight to jeddah.

Rani, make sure you give them a rousing welcome:ok: . I do not know whether VK has made the first flight yet.

[AF022]

Is there a source for this VK news? VK must be irate, no? Government meddling is no good.

[captain cumulonimbus]

Anybody noticed the increase in West-East traffic over north/central africa yet on 126.9? As you know theres a Jepp advisory on Hajj time crossing traffic over africa.Interesting to find out if its appreciable?

Hajj Mubarak everyone.

Cheers Cb

[ou Trek dronkie]

Well, I sincerely wish everyone one a safe trip. North or South, East or West.

And keep your eyes open in the circuit please !!!

oTd

[Rani]

I'm not in Jeddah at the moment so couldn't arrange for the VK formal reception !

I must say that this sort of Government interference will only infuriate Virgn Nigerian and its investors! Why does a paying LON/JNB bound passenger have a lesser right to be airlifted than a pilgrim who's paying peanuts to reach Mecca?? Obasanjo put it as a "religious right" and continues to have a worsening HAJJ management portfolio.

SRB: Time for a phone call !

[Revnetwork]

FG Diverts Virgin Flights to Jeddah
S/A bound passengers stranded in Lagos
From Josephine Lohor in Abuja, 01.05.2006
In a bid to ensure that intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia stranded in Nigeria were airlifted, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday directed Virgin Nigeria to divert its flights to the Holy Land.
This development, however, caused confusion last night at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja wihen intending passengers to South Africa were told at 8.50pm that their flights had been cancelled due to "orders from above".
The President had yesterday morning appealed to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Sultan Ibn Abdulazeez Al-Saud, through a telephone discussion so that thousands of Nigerian intending pilgrims get the opportunity to fulfill one of the basic requirements of the Muslim faith.
Obasanjo's intervention subsequently led to the extension of the deadline placed for the arrival of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj.
With this, the stranded pilgrims estimated to be about 13,000, will be allowed into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj up till 8 AM today (Friday), January 6, 2006.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media Matters, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, told newsmen yesterday that "without President Obasanjo's intervention to secure a landing extension for them, the remaining Nigerian pilgrims would not have been able to participate in this year's Hajj as the deadline for the arrival of pilgrims expired yesterday (Wednesday)".
She added that "also, in furtherance of his continuing efforts to ensure that all remaining Nigerian pilgrims are expeditiously airlifted to Saudi Arabia before the expiration of the new deadline, president Obasanjo has directed that Virgin Nigeria be contracted immediately to join in conveying them to the Holy land.
"The Federal Government sincerely regrets the inconveniences that the diversion of Virgin Nigeria's planes to the airlifting of pilgrims may cause its international passengers and appeals for their support and understanding of the government's need to ensure that thousands of Nigerians are not prevented from fulfilling their religious obligations", Oyo added.
Leader of this year's Hajj and Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Nasir Mantu, had Wednesday night disclosed that last-minute efforts were being intensified by the Federal Government to apply "for extension but we are yet to receive any official extension from the Saudi Government, but we are hoping to get one by mid night.
"We have invited the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria and we are working together to ensure that we get an extension. The Nigerian Envoy to Saudi Arabia is also working in concert with the Saudi authorities to see that we get an extension", he added.
But yesterday evening, intending passengers on Virgin Nigeria flights who were not aware of the development were left in the lurch at the airport where they were told their scheduled flights had been cancelled at the instance of the federal government.
When Virgin Nigeria officials announced at 8.50pm that their scheduled flight to South Africa had been cancelled, there was pandemonium as many passengers began to complain loudly.
One of the stranded passengers told THISDAY last night that such attitude on the part of the Federal Government "without consideration for the rights of intending passengers, is a sad and tragic decision and now we can understand why Nigeria Airways died and Virgin Nigeria may go the same way if this kind of attitude continues."
A Virgin Nigeria official who spoke on condition of anonymity last night said the development was "very, very unfortunate"
According to him, their passengers in London and Johannesburg have also been left stranded and "the implication could be very bad for our business. We never imagined we would be faced with this kind of situation, Nigeria should learn to separate business from politics", he said.
source (Thisday)

[ChiefT]

According to my information, the Virgin Nigeria plane finally has not flown pilgrims, because there was operationally no chance to meet the 0800am Saudi Time (0600 Nigeria) deadline.

[Deanw]

News24 - 06/01/2006
SA-bound passengers stranded

Johannesburg - Passengers of a Johannesburg-bound Virgin Nigeria flight were on Friday stranded in Lagos after the country's government requested that the airline mount a relief flight to Jeddah instead.

"Due to operational reasons, the flight did not happen because they hadn't received permission from the Saudi Arabian government," said airline spokesperson Tertius van Zyl.

"As a spin-off, the Johannesburg flight had to be cancelled last (Thursday) night."

Van Zyl could not comment on allegations that the Johannesburg-bound flight was barred from taking off by the Nigerian government unless it took Muslim pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca.

He said his office was still waiting for more information.

Virgin Nigeria is Nigeria's private sector flag carrier, 51% owned by Nigerian institutional investors and 49% owned by Virgin Atlantic.

[BAKELA]

:* As a result of this episode, I can only hope Mr. Branson takes his business where it is viewed as that - business - and providing a service to those that is willing to pay for it and doesn't necessarily have a religious right to it. I should maybe look into this religious rights issue...might have something I don't know about but then I suppose the OB (Ossewa Brandwag by ancestors) doesn't count. :sad: What's the saying " If you pay peanuts you get monkeys". Maybe, if you deal with monkeys you get peanuts. Laat dit nou vir jou 'n lês wees Mnr. Branson!

[Gunship]

Only in Africa ... :cool: :cool: :cool:

[aeroground]

As usual this year a number of dubious characters come out of the woodwork trying to charter who have no more intention than just infuriating the real charterers, the amount of a-c we offered which had saudi pca at respectable prices were not accepted, or was the price when put to the final paymaster so high became a joke, Nigeria was the worst and you can understand the frustration, but until it becomes more regulated this will continue year after year in certain countries.

[soups]

Kabo 747 was denied entry into saudi airspace and returned back to Kaduna

[AAL]

We were inundated by enquiries to perform charter flights from Lagos for the Hajj, with the names and authority of prominent Nigerians thrown around in the process. It is a sad day for Nigeria and Nigerian aviation when such requests cant be taken seriously for fear of becoming another victim of thefraudsters who were no doubt having a field day amidst the chaos.

[ContractFlyGal]

Hmmm Hajj, anyone know if those infamous 747-200's from NEA got into Saudi?