Irish Government Plans Charter Flight for Citizens in Middle East
The Irish government has announced plans to charter a flight from Oman in the coming days to facilitate the return of Irish citizens stranded in the Middle East.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, stated that her department will be reaching out to Irish nationals in the Middle East on Wednesday to arrange travel on a charter flight accommodating approximately 280 people.
"This first charter flight will be targeted at Irish citizens currently in UAE (United Arab Emirates), particularly those who are non-resident, and who are vulnerable and require assistance most urgently,"
she explained.
"Those citizens requiring most assistance will be contacted directly by my department in the coming days."
McEntee requested patience from the public as the government prioritizes contacting the most vulnerable citizens during this initial phase of response to the ongoing crisis.
"I ask for everyone's patience as our most vulnerable citizens are contacted in this first phase of our response to this crisis."
The minister did not specify the exact date of the flight but noted that departure would depend on the availability of open airspace and safety conditions.
She further affirmed that the Irish government will continue to provide consular support to all citizens in the region.
"All citizens should register with the appropriate embassy if they have not already done so and continue to follow our embassy social media accounts for the latest updates."
McEntee expressed hope that this flight would be the first of multiple operations to repatriate Irish nationals from the region.
Number of Irish Citizens in the Middle East
Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, McEntee revealed that approximately 24,000 Irish people in the Middle East have registered with her department in recent days.
"We're looking at one of the largest planes that we can and that's probably up to about 280 people,"
she said.
"So I appreciate when you talk about the thousands who are there, that is a fraction of the number of people that may want to get home at the same time."
The region has experienced escalating conflict following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader. Tehran has responded with a series of retaliatory attacks across the Middle East.
British citizens stranded in the Middle East have reported to the BBC a lack of clear information regarding available travel routes home.
Since Saturday, air travel in the Middle East has been heavily disrupted, with thousands of flights cancelled.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper informed MPs on Tuesday that the safety and security of British nationals remain a top priority.
She told the Commons that a government charter flight would fly from Muscat in Oman in the coming days, prioritising vulnerable nationals.
Cooper added that the government is collaborating with airlines to increase capacity out of Muscat for British nationals.
"Britons must wait to be contacted by the Foreign Office regarding these options."
