Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that by now five special flights bringing Estonians home have either already arrived or are on their way from Riga. “The special flight that departed from Dubai to Tallinn yesterday arrived overnight, and the FlyDubai flight arrived this morning,” he said. “I am very glad that these people are safe at home with their loved ones or will soon be there.”
“In a few hours, the Heston special flight will depart from Dubai, and later in the evening the final one, a FlyDubai special flight, will leave to help those who wish to return home,” Tsahkna said, adding that tickets for that flight are still being sold.
“We have been working since last Saturday to get our people home,” Tsahkna said, noting that there have been many unexpected developments. “However, the situation in the UAE is prone to changes and we are prepared to adjust our plans.”
After these seven special flights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not currently plan to organise any more special flights. “We are in constant contact with our European colleagues and Estonian citizens are also being placed on special flights organised by other countries,” Tsahkna said, adding that regular commercial flights are also gradually resuming.
Tsahkna emphasized that the most important priority is people’s safety. “I ask everyone still in the region to follow local notifications and instructions.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is personally assisting Estonian citizens and their family members with Estonian residence permits who are currently in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait to return home.
The ministry asks that those who have received a seat on a special flight take into account that tickets cannot be changed. The booking link may also reach people who have already returned home; in such cases, please ignore the booking link.
All Estonian citizens currently in the Middle East who have not yet registered are asked to do so on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
If necessary, assistance can be requested by emailing [email protected] or by calling the 24-hour emergency helpline
+372 5301 9999.
Information is also updated continuously on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web consul page and on the ministry’s website www.vm.ee.
