Saudi Airlines Cargo Company Limited signed a contract with MedView Airlines, a private Nigerian airline company, to operate 20 cargo charter flights using MD 11F aircraft from Jeddah to three Nigerian destinations - Lagos, Kano and Abuja, aimed at transporting holy water “Zamzam” for all pilgrims. “The movement of the pilgrims' baggage will be made through Saudi Airlines Cargo Company Limited from Dec. 3 this year, and will be accomplished by January 2010, “said Alhaji Muneer Bankoly, MD and CEO of MedView Airlines. “We have planned to present the Zamzam water to all the pilgrims purely on a courtesy basis, and it will be delivered to them on their arrival at their destinations in Nigeria so that they will not have to carry it with them during the journey,” Bankoly told the Saudi Gazette. “Last year, in the 1429H Haj, we effectively served around 18,000 Nigerian pilgrims. This year, we decided to tie up with ‘Tair Air' owned by a Saudi businessman, Eng. Fauzi Bondagji, and with an European airlines as well, to utilize their passenger aircraft for the passenger Haj operations.” The Nigerian Ministry of Haj chose MedView as second among three others to provide services to the Nigerian pilgrims. The selection was made in view of the standard of services provided in previous years to the pilgrims. The selected carriers will operate according to the rules and regulations of the Saudi Ministry of Haj. MedView Airlines has been operationg for the last five years. It has also been appointed as the general sales agent of Saudi Airlines Cargo Company Ltd in Lagos.
