Tourism & Hospitality | Monday 13 April, 2015 12:45 am |

flynas, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has started its preparations for the 2015 Hajj season by signing an agreement with the National Hajj Committee of Ghana, represented by the Committee’s chairman Mr. Abdul Raouf Ibrahim Tanko, to transport Ghana’s full quota of 5,424 pilgrims to the kingdom and back.

This is the third successive year that flynas has been awarded the contract, and relevant authorities in Ghana announced that 2014 was the most successful Hajj operation in Ghana.

Commenting on the agreement, Bander Al Mohanna, CEO of NAS Holding, the parent company of flynas, said: “The Hajj season is of utmost importance to flynas, as well as the NAS Group as a whole, and in its capacity as the national carrier of Saudi Arabia, flynas is dedicated to serving the pilgrims and other visitors to the Holy Mosque as they travel on the most important journey of their lives.”

Ahmed Sultan, Deputy CEO of flynas Hajj & Umrah, expressed his delight at signing the agreement for a third consecutive year with Ghana to fly the pilgrims from Accra to Saudi Arabia and back. Emphasizing the importance of starting preparations well in advance, he said: “Ghana has always been one of the first countries to sign the agreement early in the year, which enables both parties to make the necessary Hajj travel arrangements and ensure all aspects of the operation are well accounted for in order to make it a smooth and comfortable journey for the pilgrims.”

flynas Hajj and Umrah was established to meet the growing needs of the continuously expanding hajj and Umrah market serving pilgrims. Focusing on the African, Asian and European markets, an expanded presence in the religious tourism segment is a key part of flynas’ 20X20 strategy.

flynas Hajj and Umrah is currently the second largest carrier of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims into the kingdom, a market position that has been achieved in less than five years, during which the division has succeeded in securing contracts from various governments through their respective ministries of civil aviation.