The first repatriation flight that will bring home Hungarian citizens stranded in the Middle East because of the war has left for Jordan, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday.
First repatriation flight on its way
The aircraft will bring home 87 people, including 83 Hungarians, two Romanians, one Slovak and a Columbian citizen, Szijjártó said.
“They will basically be passengers who had been staying in Israel. There is a full airspace closure in Israel so Israel can only be left by land. We assisted a group of 51 pilgrims to leave Israel by land for Jordan, and in addition, we are bringing home thirty-something people from Jordan today,” he added.
Illustration. Students from across Italy, who were stranded in Dubai due to the US-Israeli attack on Iran that prompted Tehran’s subsequent military response, reunite with their families at Milan Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy. Photo: Andrea Carrubba/Anadolu
More flights to bring home Hungarian tourists, citizens
Szijjártó said the repatriation flight will take off again on Thursday, to bring home Hungarians from Amman, Jordan.
“On Friday, Sharm El-Sheikh will follow, as those stranded in Israel due to the airspace closure can leave the country by land towards Jordan or Egypt. We can bring them home this week, and then Wizz Air will increase its Sharm El-Sheikh flights to ten per week, so it will be possible to return home from there on a scheduled flight,” he said.
“I am constantly in touch with my counterparts in the region in order to assist as many Hungarians as possible. Unfortunately, airspace closures make it impossible for Hungarians to return home in several places for the time being. Our embassies continue to operate at full capacity, and our consular departments are at your disposal,” Szijjártó said.
Hungary consults with UAE, Jordan counterparts on repatriation of Hungarians stuck in Middle East
Szijjártó held phone talks with his counterparts in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan late on Tuesday to discuss the escalating crisis in the Middle East and the repatriation of Hungarians stranded in the region.
Following his call with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Szijjártó said the situation in the Middle East remained severe, with Iran continuing to launch drone, ballistic missile, and cruise missile strikes on Arab states, forcing most airspaces to stay closed.
“I just spoke again with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, as more than 4,000 Hungarians remain in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” Szijjártó said, according to a ministry statement. “My counterpart confirmed that due to ongoing attacks on their airports, their airspaces are reopening only slowly and with strict limitations.”
“This is also evident from the fact that today’s FlyDubai flight to Budapest, scheduled for 1pm, still hasn’t departed and may only leave around 2am, if all goes well,” he said.
Thousands of stranded Hungarians
Szijjártó added that his UAE counterpart had assured him that the authorities are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of Hungarians stranded in the Emirates.
Szijjártó said he had also spoken with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, whose country, he noted, had helped many Hungarians cross from Israel via land borders.
“Those we assisted into Jordan will be flown home on Wednesday and Thursday with special flights from Amman,” he said.
He confirmed that the Jordanian authorities are providing full support for these flights. He added that Hungarians who had crossed into Egypt from Israel will be brought home on a repatriation flight from Sharm El Sheikh on Friday, with Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air also ready to increase flights from there.
“Unfortunately, closed airspaces continue to hinder returns,” Szijjártó said. “I remain in constant contact with my Arab counterparts, and as soon as airspace becomes accessible, we will assist everyone in returning home as quickly as possible.”
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