Global Affairs Canada (GAC) announced on 4 March 2026 that it has arranged a "limited number of seats" on commercial flights from Beirut to facilitate voluntary departures of Canadian citizens and permanent residents amid the escalating U.S.–Iran conflict. As of that morning, 103,800 Canadians were registered in the Gulf and Middle East region. While no government-assisted evacuation is under way, GAC is also negotiating land-and-air routes via Israel-to-Egypt buses and has asked Oman for emergency use of its airspace. Travellers must cover their own costs and make onward arrangements. The advisory reiterates "avoid all travel" warnings for several Middle-East states and urges Canadians to finalise private exit plans that do not rely solely on Ottawa. Corporate security teams with staff or assignees in the region should review duty-of-care protocols, confirm employee locations, and brief travellers on rapidly changing flight options. Insurance providers may treat the situation as a known risk event; organisations should verify coverage for war-related disruptions and explore charter contingencies if commercial capacity evaporates.
Source: Global News
