UAE opens emergency air corridors to evacuate tourists
Dubai (Photo: ishitasharma1211/pixabay)
The United Arab Emirates has opened safe
air corridors with neighboring Middle Eastern countries to help tourists
leave the country and to ease the return of Emirati citizens, CNN reported
March 3.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, told reporters the corridors could handle up to 48 emergency flights an hour. He said the number of flights could be increased gradually depending on security assessments.
As part of the first phase of the evacuation plan, more than 17,000 passengers were evacuated on 60 flights starting March 2, the minister said. The next phase is planned to operate more than 80 flights a day with capacity to transport more than 27,000 people.
The Ukrainian Embassy in the UAE and the consulate in Dubai said they remain in constant contact with Ukrainian citizens and that the situation in the country “remains stable and under control,” diplomats told RFE/RL. They did not say whether a full evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the UAE is planned but said they are providing advisory assistance on temporary stays and on coordinating with airlines, hotels, and local services. The diplomats did not provide figures on how many Ukrainians have sought help.
Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi international airports resumed
limited operations on March 2. Authorities advised passengers whose
flights were disrupted not to go to airports until they receive official
notifications from their airlines about departure times and flight details.
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