VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – An evacuation flight carrying 187 Maltese citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates arrived safely at Malta International Airport early on Saturday morning.
The Airbus A330-300 touched down at 4.58am, bringing home Maltese nationals who had sought to leave the region following the outbreak of war in neighbouring Iran.
The flight was chartered and fully funded by the Maltese government as part of efforts to assist citizens affected by the growing regional conflict.
It departed Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central, at around 1am—five hours later than originally planned.
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft travelled west across Saudi Arabia and Egypt before entering the Mediterranean and heading towards Malta.
Relatives gathered at the airport overnight, expressing relief as their loved ones disembarked safely after the long journey home.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg confirmed the successful operation in a Facebook post shortly after landing. “I’m very happy everything went well,” he wrote at 6.13am.
More than 1,650 Maltese nationals are known to live across the Middle East.
Since the outbreak of war, Borg said around 215 Maltese citizens requested consular assistance, including 169 based in the United Arab Emirates.
Diplomatic staff from Malta’s embassy in the UAE and officials from the Foreign Ministry spent the past week coordinating the evacuation. Preparations were kept ready so that evacuees could depart as soon as a flight slot became available.
Prime Minister Robert Abela reiterated Malta’s call for de-escalation as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Speaking ahead of a Brussels summit later this month, Abela said Malta remains firmly in favour of dialogue and peace. “Our position remains clear in favour of de-escalation to allow for a dialogue of peace,” he said. Abela also warned that the conflict could have wider economic consequences, particularly due to rising global oil prices.
Meanwhile, several NGOs urged the government to ensure Malta’s infrastructure is not used to support military action against Iran.
– photo Malta Foreign Ministry –
(ITALPRESS).
