Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, met with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, in Riyadh to discuss upgrading the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries. Keyamo also held talks with the President of Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, focusing on the same agenda. The meetings, which occurred on Tuesday, aimed to improve operational efficiency ahead of the 2026 Hajj operations. Keyamo was accompanied by the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, and senior directors from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development. Discussions centered on reviewing the existing BASA framework to reflect current global aviation dynamics. Specific attention was given to the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding, particularly the sharing formula for airlifting pilgrims. Officials examined fair allocation of flight slots for Nigerian carriers and the percentage of pilgrims to be transported by airlines from both nations. Challenges affecting Nigerian airlines were also addressed, with emphasis on improving performance for smoother Hajj operations. A statement from Special Adviser on Media and Communications Tunde Moshood described the talks as frank, constructive, and productive. Both sides expressed commitment to strengthening aviation cooperation. Keyamo thanked Saudi authorities for their support and reaffirmed Nigeria's adherence to international aviation standards. Decisions reached, especially those related to the 2026 Hajj, have been relayed to Nigeria's designated airlines for immediate implementation.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
