Nigeria, May 21 -- The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has successfully concluded the 2026 Hajj outbound airlift operation, marking a major milestone ahead of this year's pilgrimage rites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

A statement by the Commission on Thursday said the final outbound flight departed at exactly 10:44 a.m. on 21 May, with a Max Air aircraft conveying pilgrims from Zamfara State through the Gusau International Airport.

The operation, which began on 3 May, saw a total of 98 flights conducted within 18 days - averaging about five flights daily.

Nigeria was allocated a total Hajj quota of 50,000 pilgrims for the 2026 exercise, including 9,750 slots reserved for licensed tour operators, officials and support per...