Four flights planned this weekend to repatriate Belgians from the Middle East
Belgium wants to operate four flights this weekend to repatriate people from the Middle East. This was announced by foreign minister Maxime Prévot on Friday evening on the X platform. The four flights could bring a total of around 565 people back to Belgium.
The military flight with the MRTT aircraft has been confirmed and will enable 185 Belgians to be repatriated from Oman to Brussels, the minister writes. Earlier in the day, there was some confusion about this repatriation flight. The aircraft was initially scheduled to depart on Thursday evening, but the flight permits had not yet been issued. Shortly before noon, the minister announced that the flight would be able to take place on Saturday.
In addition, permits have now also been obtained for military flights with two A400M aircraft from the United Arab Emirates. This will enable around 200 people to be transported from Dubai to the Egyptian city of Hurghada on Sunday. The best solutions for transporting them on to Brussels are currently being examined.
Finally, a charter flight with Cyprus Airways has also been ordered. On Sunday evening, around 180 people will thus be transported from Dubai to Brussels. This flight will make a technical stopover in Cyprus.
Prévot emphasises that the organisation of the flights is subject to the security situation and operational conditions. In his message on X, the minister also makes it clear that the crisis centre is working 24 hours a day on the repatriation of Belgians. Eighty employees are taking turns on the telephone.
“We know that the wait is long and difficult. But the pieces of the puzzle are gradually falling into place. Every effort is being made to bring the Belgians who have requested it back home as quickly and safely as possible,” Prévot writes. This is being done “in close cooperation with the ministry of defence and our European partners”.
Illustration © PHOTO BELPRESS
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