Canada booking flights to get 530 citizens out of Middle East
World
A total of around 3,500 citizens have asked for help
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is organizing flights to get up to 530 citizens out of the Middle East, and around 3,000 more have asked for help in evacuating during the Iran crisis, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Friday.
Ottawa has chartered a flight to take 180 Canadians from Dubai to Istanbul on Saturday, Anand told reporters.
The government has also secured or is seeking to secure up to 350 seats on commercial flights from Dubai and Beirut to Istanbul in the next few days, she said.
A total of around 3,500 citizens have asked for help, she added.
Earlier, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport has resumed limited flight operations following recent disruptions, as authorities work to gradually restore normal travel services while assisting thousands of stranded passengers.
Airport officials said the partial resumption was carried out in coordination with the Abu Dhabi Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Center after several days of intensive collaboration among government departments, airlines and hospitality providers.
The phased restart of flights marks a key step toward restoring connectivity at one of the region’s major aviation hubs, with passenger safety and wellbeing remaining the top priority.
During the disruption, authorities launched a wide support effort to assist travellers whose journeys were affected by schedule changes and operational challenges.
More than 4,300 complimentary hotel rooms were arranged across 74 hotels in Abu Dhabi to accommodate approximately 7,000 passengers while airlines adjusted their flight schedules.
