Pilgrimage: Finally, NCPC gets nod for direct flight to Israel

The chief executive officer, Air Peace Airline, Chief Allen Onyema, has disclosed that the inaugural direct flight to Israel had been launched at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

He made the disclosure Thursday during states’ pilgrimage leaders and managers meeting held at the NCPC conference hall in Abuja.

This was contained in a press statement issued from the commission’s media and public relations unit.

It indicated that Chief Onyema said the direct flight would boost the nation’s pilgrimage activities as passengers would spend only five hours onboard with flights scheduled for twice a week (Thursdays and Fridays.)

He applauded the executive secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam, for being instrumental to making the dream of having a direct flight to Israel come true.

He also revealed that the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria “is working out modalities to ease the issuance of visas to Nigerians and intending pilgrims.”

In his remarks, the NCPC boss disclosed that the just concluded main pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan was a huge success.

He said the meeting with the states’ pilgrimage leaders was to fashion out the way forward on the partnership between Air Peace Airline and the Commission in the airlift of intending pilgrims.

“As stakeholders and key partners, we should come together to help pilot the affairs of pilgrimage. The State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Boards and the NCPC are intertwined and as such we should have a good working relationship to improve the productivity of the pilgrimage exercise going forward,” he said.

He also disclosed that this year’s Easter pilgrimage would officially begin on April 28, while the flag-off ceremony would take place in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

Rev. Pam said he was excited over the launch of the direct flight from Nigeria to Tel-Aviv, adding that the initiative would ease the movement of Christian intending pilgrims from Nigeria to the Holy Land of Israel.

(Blueprint)