The Cypriot government mounted its fourth emergency evacuation in a week on Saturday night, chartering a Cyprus Airways Airbus A320 to bring 170 stranded nationals—two of them infants—back from Dubai. The aircraft touched down at Larnaca’s Glafcos Clerides Airport at 20:05 on 7 March, pushing the total number of citizens repatriated since 1 March to 805.
Dubai International Airport had earlier halted operations for nearly three hours after Emirati defences intercepted what officials described as “hostile aerial objects” linked to the regional escalation with Iran. Knock-on cancellations by Emirates, FlyDubai and several European carriers left hundreds of Cypriot leisure travellers, students and offshore workers without confirmed itineraries.
![Cyprus Airlift: 170 Citizens Flown Home from Dubai as Gulf Disruptions Deepen]()
Nicosia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 3 March, allowing it to co-finance rescue flights and coordinate consular support through Brussels. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saturday’s operation cost approximately €210,000, two-thirds of which will be reimbursed by the Mechanism once paperwork clears.
While the majority of evacuees were tourists, around 40 were oil-field contractors whose rotation schedules were upended when energy majors imposed a regional travel freeze. Employment lawyers warn that companies must treat the evacuation period as “worked time” for insurance and payroll purposes, even if stranded staff were confined air-side.
Officials say more flights could follow if hostilities spread. In the meantime, Cypriots overseas have been urged to register their whereabouts on the ‘Connect2CY’ portal so that consular teams can triage future extraction priorities quickly.
Dubai International Airport had earlier halted operations for nearly three hours after Emirati defences intercepted what officials described as “hostile aerial objects” linked to the regional escalation with Iran. Knock-on cancellations by Emirates, FlyDubai and several European carriers left hundreds of Cypriot leisure travellers, students and offshore workers without confirmed itineraries.
Nicosia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 3 March, allowing it to co-finance rescue flights and coordinate consular support through Brussels. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saturday’s operation cost approximately €210,000, two-thirds of which will be reimbursed by the Mechanism once paperwork clears.
While the majority of evacuees were tourists, around 40 were oil-field contractors whose rotation schedules were upended when energy majors imposed a regional travel freeze. Employment lawyers warn that companies must treat the evacuation period as “worked time” for insurance and payroll purposes, even if stranded staff were confined air-side.
Officials say more flights could follow if hostilities spread. In the meantime, Cypriots overseas have been urged to register their whereabouts on the ‘Connect2CY’ portal so that consular teams can triage future extraction priorities quickly.
Source: In-Cyprus
