Hajj: First batch returns home …Bad weather stalls operation
By UMORU IBRAHIM

THE homeward airlifts of Nigerian pilgrims pilgrims from Kano zone commenced last Friday with 326 pilgrims from Katsina arriving at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport by 9.05 p.m on board Mangal Airlines.
Our aviation correspondent who was at the airport during the arrival reports that the pilgrims comprising of males and females were in high spirit as a sizeable number of their relations were there to receive them.
Our investigation has indicated that the second batch of the pilgrims numbering upto 500 could not land at MAKIA as expected on Saturday due to bad weather. The pilgrims, all of them from Bauchi on Kabo Air were however said to have landed at Kaduna airport by 1.30 p.m.
The bad weather in Kano on Saturday, Daily Triumph learnt led to the cancellation of various flights. This the source added resulted in hundreds of air passengers who were at the airport in the early hours on Saturday to go back to their homes disappointed.
An official of Mangal Airlines disclosed to our correspondent that another batch of Katsina pilgrims was expected to land by 3 p.m. yesterday.
Reports reaching the Daily Triumph also show that the pilgrims’ airlifts in other centres are going on smoothly. This, the source said, will make it possible for the operation to be completed on schedule.