The situation in the Middle East remains tense, but the repatriation of tourists to Russia is in full swing. On March 2 and 3, nearly 3,000 Russians left the Persian Gulf countries.
On March 3, approximately 2,800 passengers were departed:
Moscow's Vnukovo Airport welcomed four Flydubai flights from Dubai. Besides Moscow, passengers also arrived in Yekaterinburg and Kazan – six flights in total, each with an average of 150 passengers on board.
Oman Air operated two flights to Moscow, carrying approximately 320 passengers. A Flynas flight carrying 79 passengers arrived in the capital from Saudi Arabia. Two Aeroflot flights brought a total of approximately 580 passengers from Dubai.
Emirates flight EK 131 was one of the busiest, carrying approximately 500 passengers to Moscow early in the morning.
Flights continued arriving in Russia on March 4:
Two Flydubai flights landed in Moscow (Vnukovo) this morning, along with Pobeda flights from Dubai. Air Arabia transported approximately 330 passengers on two flights from Sharjah.
The first Ural Airlines repatriation flight landed in Yekaterinburg, carrying 222 passengers. The route bypassed restricted areas, passing through the airspace of Oman, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, with a stopover in Navoi.
Also, on March 4-5, S7 Airlines flew passengers from Dubai to Novosibirsk and Moscow; an Aeroflot flight arrived in Nalchik with 148 passengers; Pobeda Airlines flew tourists from Fujairah to Makhachkala Airport, and Emirates flew to St. Petersburg.
Some flights from Flydubai, Ural Airlines, Emirates, and Pobeda scheduled for March 4 were delayed or were delayed, with an expected arrival late on March 5.
Due to the closure of Qatar and Bahraini airspace, Qatar Airways and Gulf Air have temporarily suspended flights until official approval from local authorities. Passengers of both airlines are advised to stay in touch with their carriers, monitor flight status on their official websites and mobile apps, and ensure their contact information in their bookings is up to date.
Due to the escalating conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States and the resulting security threats, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly advises citizens to refrain from traveling to six Gulf states: the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Tour operators, in turn, are advised to suspend sales and promotion of tours to these countries.
