Government sending repatriation flights for Czech nationals in Middle East
The military operation against the Khamenei regime has halted flights from many popular tourist destinations in the Middle East, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. The Czech government is sending out repatriation flights to destinations where airports are now operating.
Several thousand Czechs are now stranded in the Middle East and due to the closure of airspace in several states, their chances of finding a safe route home have become extremely limited.
Iran, Israel and Iraq announced on Saturday that they were closing their airspace until further notice. Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates followed suit. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, has thus announced a temporary suspension of operations.
According to the Czech Foreign Ministry over 6,650 Czechs are registered in the ministry’s travel database Drozd; around 3,500 in the United Arab Emirates, another 900 Czech citizens are in Oman, with hundreds more in Jordan and Israel, about a hundred in Saudi Arabia, and dozens in Lebanon, Bahrain and Kuwait. Four Czechs are registered in Iran, three in Iraq and two in Syria.
The ministry has no means of knowing about those who have not registered in the voluntary database which provides direct information and aid to travelers in the event of a crisis.
Following a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday morning Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said two Airbus aircraft and eight CASA planes were on stand-by for repatriation and three repatriation flights would take place that day. The process is being coordinated with the Slovak government so as to assist Slovak citizens or the citizens of other European countries as well.
“The National Security Council has approved starting repatriation immediately. We will have two planes on standby in Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh to pick up 79 Czech citizens who are set to move from Israel to Egypt today and should fly back home early on Tuesday. We aim to fill both planes with Czechs who want to return and citizens of other states if there are vacancies left. Another repatriation flight will depart from Amman, Jordan. Meanwhile Smartwings is organizing four flights to Muscat and Salalah in Oman where 650 clients of Czech travel agencies are waiting to be picked up. Smartwings will also maintain flights for as long as is needed. The highest number of Czech tourists is in Dubai. The airport there remains closed, and judging by the information we have it could remain so for some time.”
Slovakia is also accommodating Czech travelers wherever possible. A Slovak repatriation flight from Aqaba, Jordan, is scheduled to bring home three Czech nationals today and the Slovak authorities have offered to take another ten people from Amman on Wednesday.
Many tourists in the Middle east are trying to move to locations where airports are operational. The Foreign Ministry has advised stranded Czech nationals in high risk areas to stay put, follow the security instructions of the local authorities and not to set out on their own.
Czechs in trouble have been advised to contact the Czech embassy or consulate in the given country for information and help using the crisis helpline (+420 222 420 222 ). Those registered in the Drozd system, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be briefed automatically.
Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) said the ministry expects a larger-scale operation that may last for several weeks and appealed to Czech citizens to respect the current travel warning issued. In addition to Iran and Israel, the travel warning now also applies to Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
DROZD (Voluntary Registration of Czech Citizens When Travelling Abroad) is a free information system operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that assists Czech citizens in emergency situations abroad. Through the website drozd.mzv.gov.cz or a mobile application, it enables the state to send timely warnings about potential dangers (natural disasters, unrest) via SMS or email.
Main functions of the DROZD system:
- Warnings and information: Rapid notification about impending threats in a given country.
- Emergency assistance: Organization of assistance or evacuation in the event of a crisis.
- Voluntary basis: Registration is entirely voluntary and free of charge.
- Simplicity: Travelers complete a form with details of their trip, fellow travelers and a contact person in the Czech Republic.
- Data security: Personal data are automatically deleted after the end of the stay.
The system is also available as a mobile application, which includes contacts for embassies and consulates as well as guidance for emergency situations.
Crisis helpline:
The Consular Information Centre, which handles enquiries from Czech citizens abroad, is available around the clock on a crisis hotline at +420 222 420 222.
