As most of the world’s airlines retire their four‑engined giants in favor of leaner twin‑jets, a Nigerian carrier is quietly charting a different course. Max Air, a privately owned airline based in Kano, continues to bet on the Boeing 747 for high‑density religious charters and regional long‑haul missions, and recent fleet moves suggest the “Queen of the Skies” is far from finished in West Africa’s crowded skies.

A Jumbo Revival in the Age of Twin‑Engined Efficiency

Across Europe, North America and parts of Asia, the Boeing 747 has been slipping into history. Flag carriers from British Airways to Qantas have phased out the type from passenger service, driven by fuel prices, environmental pressures and the economics of newer widebodies. In that context, the decision by Max Air to keep its 747‑400s not just on the books but in regular use has drawn renewed attention.

The airline, founded in 2008, built its reputation on Hajj and Umrah operations, initially centering its business model on the Boeing 747‑400. The high‑capacity aircraft allowed the carrier to transport large numbers of religious pilgrims from Nigeria and neighboring countries to Saudi Arabia in short seasonal windows, something smaller narrowbodies could not match without complex multi‑leg schedules.

While many global operators swapped their 747s for Boeing 777s, 787s or Airbus A350s, Max Air doubled down on the type’s niche strengths. As of early 2026, aviation databases and regulatory filings continue to list multiple 747‑400s in the Nigerian airline’s fleet, dedicated primarily to long‑haul charter and pilgrimage traffic rather than daily scheduled trunk routes.

From the Desert Back to Duty

The most striking recent chapter in Max Air’s jumbo story involves a 747‑400 that, by industry convention, might have been expected to stay parked forever. The aircraft, registered 5N‑HMM, was stored at Pinal Airpark in Arizona, a site widely regarded as one of the world’s largest aircraft graveyards. For many airframes, arrival there is usually the first step toward part‑out and scrapping.

Instead, Max Air arranged for the aircraft to be reactivated and returned to service after roughly half a year on the ground. Sector‑by‑sector ferry flights took the jet from the dry desert climate back to operational readiness, following a pattern familiar to technicians but increasingly rare for 747 passenger variants. Industry reports note that the return of 5N‑HMM represents a significant capacity boost for the airline in time for upcoming pilgrimage and peak‑season travel windows.

The decision to bring a stored 747‑400 back into the fold runs counter to the global downsizing trend and has stirred discussion among fleet planners across the region. It signals that, for Max Air, the economics of high‑density charters, contractual pilgrimage commitments and airport constraints still justify the costs of maintaining a four‑engined widebody.

Hajj Charters Keep the “Queen” in Business

The backbone of Max Air’s 747 operations remains the annual Hajj and related religious travel flows between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Each year, tens of thousands of Nigerian pilgrims travel to the Kingdom in tightly scheduled waves, coordinated by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and Saudi aviation authorities.

For the 2025 Hajj season, official planning documents confirm that Max Air was once again selected as one of the principal carriers tasked with transporting Nigerian pilgrims. In projected allocations, the airline was assigned more than 23,000 pilgrims, one of the largest shares among participating airlines. Those numbers underscore why a very large aircraft like the 747‑400 continues to make sense on these routes, where demand is sharply peaked and predominantly one‑way in each direction over specific days.

Each of Max Air’s 747‑400s is configured in a dense layout, reported at around 16 business‑class seats and more than 500 in economy. That configuration allows the airline to move entire contingents of pilgrims, accompanied by officials and support staff, on a single flight. It also helps Nigerian authorities consolidate security, health and logistics checks at departure and arrival points, easing pressure on ground infrastructure that is often stretched during the Hajj period.

Industry analysts note that this seasonal, high‑volume profile is precisely where jumbo jets continue to shine. While twin‑engined aircraft can offer better fuel burn per seat, they would require more movements and crew rotations to match the capacity of a single 747 departure, eroding some of the presumed efficiency gains.

Max Air’s decision to keep its jumbo jets active sits in sharp contrast to the broader fleet strategy of most major carriers. Boeing itself has repositioned its commercial lineup around the 737 MAX family and a smaller portfolio of widebodies, with deliveries in 2025 heavily dominated by narrowbody aircraft. Global delivery statistics underscore how rare new four‑engined passenger jets have become, with airlines favoring flexibility and lower emissions from newer twin‑engine designs.

In that context, Max Air is leaning into a hybrid strategy. The carrier operates classic Boeing 737 variants on domestic and regional routes, while keeping the 747‑400s focused on high‑density long sectors and charter contracts. Official fleet tables updated into 2025 and 2026 still list multiple 747‑400s alongside older 737‑300 and 737‑400 aircraft, forming an all‑Boeing roster tailored to both domestic and religious travel markets.

That approach carries risks. Older airframes generally come with higher maintenance costs, more intensive inspection regimes and heightened regulatory scrutiny. They can also fall short on noise and emissions benchmarks that are tightening globally, although many of Max Air’s routes involve airports and jurisdictions that still allow, and in some cases depend on, older high‑capacity aircraft.

For now, however, the economics of Nigeria’s pilgrimage market, coupled with the airline’s experience in operating the type, appear to outweigh the downsides. Where European and Asian carriers see an aging relic, Max Air sees a proven workhorse capable of fulfilling contracts that demand maximum seats per slot.

Regulatory Scrutiny and Safety Audits

Operating large, aging aircraft in a developing aviation market brings additional oversight, and Max Air has not been immune. In recent years, Nigerian regulators have launched multiple safety and economic audits of the airline, highlighting concerns over maintenance practices and specific incidents, most of them involving its domestic 737 fleet.

In 2023, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority temporarily grounded parts of the airline’s operation after an audit flagged numerous safety findings. Domestic services were suspended again at the start of 2025, when authorities initiated a fresh safety and financial health review after a landing gear incident involving a 737‑400 in Kano. Regulators stressed that the suspension applied to domestic scheduled operations and not automatically to international charter flights, including Hajj services.

For Max Air’s 747 operations, the heightened scrutiny has translated into intensive checks and periodic heavy maintenance work carried out under contract with specialized facilities in the Middle East. Earlier in the decade, the airline selected Saudi‑based Alsalam Aircraft Company for major maintenance and inspection on its 747 fleet, in part to align with Saudi regulatory requirements tied to Hajj flying.

Aviation analysts say the continued use of 747‑400s by a carrier under the watchful eye of regulators is a reminder that keeping jumbo jets in service today is as much a compliance and engineering challenge as it is a commercial one. Each extended life cycle for a 747 requires money, documentation and clear demonstration that safety standards are being met or exceeded.

Passenger Experience on a Classic Widebody

For many travelers, stepping aboard a Boeing 747 in 2026 is an experience increasingly reserved for aviation enthusiasts. On Max Air’s routes, however, pilgrims and migrant workers may encounter the aircraft for the first time, not as a nostalgic throwback but as a practical means of getting to Saudi Arabia on a single, direct flight.

Cabin layouts on Max Air’s 747‑400s reflect their mission profile. The upper deck hosts a modest business‑class section, while the main deck is dominated by rows of economy seating. The airline’s own published specifications point to more than 500 economy seats on each jumbo, configured to prioritize volume over premium amenities.

Onboard services are tailored to the needs of religious travelers, with announcements, catering and scheduling designed around prayer times and group movements. For Nigerian aviation as a whole, the image of a towering 747‑400 parked on the ramp in Kano or Abuja during Hajj season continues to symbolize national participation in one of the world’s largest annual airlifts.

Yet even for passengers who do not consider themselves aviation fans, the aircraft’s distinctive silhouette and spacious cabin can leave a lasting impression. In a market increasingly dominated by single‑aisle aircraft, the double‑decked profile of the 747 remains an unmistakable marker of long‑haul travel’s earlier era.

A Niche Model that May Shape West Africa’s Capacity Future

Max Air’s continued reliance on the 747 suggests that jumbo jets are not entirely a thing of the past, but rather a niche solution in markets where demand, infrastructure and seasonality align. West Africa’s religion‑driven travel patterns, limited widebody fleets and constrained airport slots create conditions under which a high‑capacity four‑engined aircraft can still make sense.

Looking ahead, the question for Max Air and its peers is how long the economics of this strategy will hold. As newer widebodies trickle into African fleets and regulatory pressure around emissions and noise intensifies, carriers that rely on aging 747s may face tougher choices. Yet the recent reactivation of 5N‑HMM, and the airline’s strong role in the 2025 Hajj airlift plan, indicate that change is unlikely to be immediate.

For now, the sight of a Max Air Boeing 747‑400 climbing out over Kano or Jeddah stands as a visible rebuke to the idea that jumbo jets belong only in museums and boneyards. In one corner of the global aviation map, the Queen of the Skies remains very much on duty, carrying full loads of Nigerian pilgrims and proving that, under the right conditions, size can still be a strategic advantage in commercial flight.