VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A charter flight will bring stranded Maltese nationals home from the United Arab Emirates in the coming days, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg announced.
Around 215 Maltese citizens living across the Middle East have contacted Malta’s Consular Directorate seeking assistance after the war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent escalation in the region.
In a video address, Borg said the government had secured a private airline to repatriate those currently in the UAE, where 169 of the Maltese who requested help are based.
“If everything goes to plan and safety is guaranteed, the flight will leave in the coming days from Dubai airport,” Borg said, adding that affected individuals would receive further details directly.
“Our priority is that all Maltese citizens are safe and return as soon as possible,” he said.
Prime Minister Robert Abela later confirmed that the government will cover the cost of the charter flight, ensuring affected families will not have to pay for the arrangements. The price of the operation was not disclosed.
More than 1,650 Maltese nationals are currently living across the Middle East.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, more than 20,000 of the 36,000 flights scheduled to depart from or arrive in the Middle East since Saturday have been cancelled amid the conflict.
While some airlines have resumed limited operations from major hubs such as Dubai and Riyadh, governments worldwide have been chartering aircraft to repatriate citizens stranded by the disruption.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
