For the repatriation flights operated by Latvia’s national airline airBaltic, scheduled for Friday with departures from Dubai at 17:50 and 18:50 local time, the departure airport has been changed from Dubai International Airport to Al Maktoum International Airport, according to a statement from the airline.
airBaltic noted that all relevant passengers will receive a text message with individual information about the change and further instructions.
The airline urges passengers to carefully follow the information they receive.
Previously it was reported that airBaltic plans to operate two repatriation flights from Dubai to Riga on Friday.
The airline has also emphasised that it is ready to act operative, including adjusting flight schedules and organising additional flights if necessary.
Flights from Dubai to Riga are planned with a technical stop in Heraklion, Greece.
Each flight will provide 145 seats.
Latvian citizens who have registered in the Consular Register will be contacted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, which will provide information about participation in the first flight and further procedures. For the second flight, however, passengers must register separately by completing a special application form.
The airline strongly advises passengers not to travel to the airport until they have received individual confirmation that they are included in the passenger list for a specific flight.
It was previously reported that the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia decided at an extraordinary meeting on the 5th of March to allocate 752,000 euros for the repatriation and evacuation of Latvian citizens from the United Arab Emirates.
Given the security situation in the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport of Latvia, was tasked with ensuring repatriation flights organised by airBaltic from the region. If necessary,
the ministry must also ensure the evacuation of Latvian citizens from the UAE to neighbouring countries by land transport.
The government agreed that priority in repatriation and evacuation measures should be given to families with children, minors, people with health or mobility problems, pregnant women, seniors, people with disabilities, unaccompanied children, and other socially vulnerable groups.
The government also decided that passengers will have to pay a 350 euro co-payment for tickets on airBaltic’s repatriation flights.
Currently, up to five repatriation flights are planned, although more flights may be organised if necessary, without exceeding the allocated funding.
According to earlier information, 624 Latvian citizens had registered in the Consular Register by the 4th of March requesting assistance in leaving the UAE.
It has also been reported that on the 28th of February this year Israel and the United States launched air strikes against Iran. Several affected countries initially closed their airspace completely during the first days of the conflict, and on the 4th of March began partially reopening it, though not fully.
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