First planeload of Australians evacuated from Middle East arrives Sydney
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
A group of Australians stranded in the Middle East due to the escalating conflict has safely returned home, with an Emirates flight landing in Sydney late last night.
Emirates flight EK414 departed Dubai International Airport on Tuesday morning and arrived at Sydney Airport just before 10.30pm (AEDT), carrying about 200 passengers.
Many families gathered at the arrivals terminal to welcome loved ones after several stressful days. Some travellers had been stranded in Dubai since the latest Middle East tensions erupted over the weekend, forcing airports and airlines to suspend or delay flights.
Among those waiting was a mother from Port Stephens, who drove hours to greet her son after he became stuck in Dubai while travelling to Rome. She said the situation had been frightening, with passengers asked to remain inside hotels due to falling debris from intercepted drones and missiles.
The returning flight also carried a group of students from Barker College, who were greeted with cheers, flowers and signs by friends and family.
Flights from Dubai have slowly resumed after disruptions caused by regional attacks. Airlines including Virgin Atlantic, SriLankan Airlines, Air India and flydubai have also restarted some services.
Penny Wong said Australians trying to leave the region should use available commercial flights for now. Authorities estimate around 20,000 Australians are currently in the UAE, with another 115,000 across the wider Middle East.
Meanwhile, Qantas announced an additional A380 service from Sydney to London via Singapore this weekend to help stranded travellers reach Europe. The airline also confirmed its Perth–London route will temporarily stop in Singapore due to closed airspace in parts of the Middle East.
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