A Max Air aircraft carrying 559 Jigawa State pilgrims from Dutse International Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday made an emergency landing at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
This was just as 390 Lagos State pilgrims left early on Thursday for Madinah, Saudi Arabia for the 2023 hajj.
This was contained in a statement signed by the management of Max Air Limited.
According to the statement: “Our aircraft carrying hajj pilgrims from Dutse International Airport encountered severe weather conditions.
“The windscreen had a slight crack shortly after takeoff from Dutse, prompting a diversion to Kano State.”
The statement stated further that “all passengers have been taken care of, and safely transferred to another aircraft to continue their journey”.
The Max Air management said the incident was due to adverse weather conditions, adding: “The prompt and professional response of the crew ensured a smooth diversion and landing, mitigating any potential risks.”
Meanwhile, over 13,000 Nigerian pilgrims have been airlifted to Saudi Arabia with the latest being 390 Lagos pilgrims aboard Flynas.
The Lagos pilgrims left Lagos early on Thursday to Madinah with 173 males and 217 females.
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