The Ogun State Government has explained why a batch of intending pilgrims scheduled to depart for the 2026 Hajj from the newly inaugurated Gateway International Airport, Iperu, was moved to Lagos, insisting that the decision was not connected to any safety or operational shortcomings at the airport.
The government’s clarification followed a report by The PUNCH, which stated that a Saudi airline had allegedly shunned the Ogun airport, leaving some pilgrims stranded and forcing authorities to relocate operations to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Reacting to the development on Friday in a statement, the state government denied claims that the airport was rejected by any airline, describing the relocation as a temporary logistical adjustment caused by flight scheduling complications involving Saudi aviation authorities.
In the statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the government explained that the challenge emerged after Saudi authorities were unable to secure a landing slot for Max Air, the Nigerian airline designated by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for operations from the Gateway International Airport.
According to the statement, the late notice from the Saudi authorities made it necessary for NAHCON to redirect the affected pilgrims to Lagos in order to avoid disruptions to the pilgrimage timetable.
The statement read, “The relocation of the second batch of pilgrims from Gateway International Airport was not due to any safety, operational, or infrastructural challenge at the facility.
“It resulted from the inability of Saudi aviation authorities to secure a landing slot for Nigeria’s designated carrier, Max Air, which had been engaged by NAHCON for Gateway International Airport operations, thereby necessitating an adjustment in flight arrangements.”
However, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board confirmed to The PUNCH that Flynas Airline, which was initially expected to airlift the pilgrims from the airport, could not land at the facility for reasons he said were unknown to him.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government maintained that the Gateway International Airport remained fully certified and operational for international flights, including Hajj operations.
Akinmade noted that the first batch of Ogun pilgrims had successfully departed from the airport without any incident, describing the exercise as a historic achievement for the state and a major boost for Nigeria’s aviation and Hajj logistics sector.
The government further stated that the airport, commissioned on April 4, 2026, by President Bola Tinubu, had received the necessary approvals from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority in line with the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
According to Akinmade, the facility is equipped with modern aviation infrastructure, including a Category II Instrument Landing System, precision navigation systems, and advanced weather monitoring equipment capable of supporting international flight operations.
He added that the airport’s runway could accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Boeing 747, and Airbus A380, insisting that no aviation authority would have approved the airport for operations if there were unresolved safety concerns.
