Preparations are under way to bring home Irish people who have been stranded in the Middle East by the widespread cancellation of flights there.
The five-day-old US-Israeli bombing campaign of Iran has led to the closure of nearly all the airspace in the region.
Up to 280 Irish citizens are to be brought home from the Middle East on a Government chartered flight from Oman in the coming days.
Those who are vulnerable and require the most urgent assistance will be given priority on the flight with efforts under way to identify these people.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said that an Emirates flight will depart Dubai for Dublin this evening. It will carry passengers who had their flights cancelled at the weekend.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee cited it as a “positive development”, adding that the department is “in close touch with the airline”.
Positive development. Emirates have decided to run a flight from Dubai to Dublin later later today. We are in close touch with the airline. They will be in direct contact with passengers
whose flights were cancelled.
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) March 4, 2026
So far 25,000 Irish citizens in the region have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs – 2,000 of them have said they want to leave.
Minister McEntee said more flights will follow.
She reiterated advice to remaining Irish citizens to remain sheltered and if they have access to a flight to take it.
Meanwhile, thousands of British nationals stranded in the Middle East are returning home today as airlines increase their flights from the region.
Emirates is operating seven flights from Dubai to the UK, while Etihad has two Abu Dhabi departures to the UK.
Virgin Atlantic will operate a flight from Dubai to London Heathrow.
British Airways has not restarted its usual flights schedule from the region but will run an evacuation flight to Heathrow from Oman’s capital Muscat, which it does not usually serve.
A UK government charter flight will repatriate British nationals from Muscat at 7pm GMT, but it has been reported there will be no major evacuation of the 130,000 British nationals who have registered their presence in the Middle East.
Watch: Minister confirms Govt to charter flight from Oman for 280 Irish citizens
Here’s a reminder of some useful contacts for Irish citizens in the Gulf region.
Citizens Registration: citizensregistration.dfa.ie
DFAT Crisis Team phone number: 01-4082000
Travel advice is available here
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Additional reporting by MÃcheál Lehane and PA