First repatriation flight bringing Singaporeans home from the Middle East lands

SINGAPORE – Passengers on the first repatriation flight from the Middle East returned to the hugs and cheers of their loved ones as they landed in Singapore from Muscat, Oman, on the night of March 7.

Many family members had gathered at the arrival hall at Changi Airport Terminal 3 to welcome them home, after days of anxiously waiting for updates amid

escalating conflict in the Middle East.

A total of 152 Singaporeans and their dependants touched down safely on the flight, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in an update on the evening of March 7. “We are glad to see them reunite with their loved ones in Singapore,” said the ministry in a Facebook post.

Mr Han Zong Kui, 60, a manager, was among the first few passengers to step into the arrival hall.

He had gone to Dubai for leisure on Feb 26 and intended to return on March 2, but could not find flights as commercial flights were cancelled and airports across the Middle East had closed.

Despite the long 19-hour overland journey from Dubai to the airport in Muscat, he was appreciative of the consular support provided to fellow Singaporeans on the repatriation flight and was glad to have successfully returned to Singapore.

Singapore Airlines Flight SQ8001 landed at Changi Airport at 9.18pm after departing Muscat at 10.44am local time, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Passengers were greeted with applause and cheers of “welcome back” and colourful posters raised to welcome them home.

Ms Nina Zafar said that her younger sister Zehra Zafar and six-year-old niece were on the flight after travelling from Dubai, where they reside.

Ms Nina, 50, said she had been fearful after hearing about the outbreak of conflict in the region, adding: “They were hearing missiles (being) intercepted and all that, so they have been living through pretty much hell.”

Amid the uncertainty, Ms Zehra had decided to return to Singapore with her daughter.

They took a 13-hour bus journey from Dubai to Oman on March 6 and stayed in a hotel ballroom in Muscat for one night before taking the March 7 flight.

Travelling from Dubai to Oman would usually take about six hours by car, Ms Zehra said, but many people were trying to leave the region through Oman.

“It was a very long journey, but it was very well planned,” said the 37-year-old nursery teacher, adding that she and her daughter were well taken care of and provided with food. “We never felt uncomfortable. And there was no fear.”

She added that the calm environment was especially helpful for those with children, as she did not want her daughter to feel scared.

Shortly after the flight landed, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong thanked Singapore’s public service officers in a Facebook post, adding that they are “working hard under challenging conditions to ensure the safety and security of Singaporeans”.

Apart from officers across ministries and agencies, the effort involved diplomatic officers in overseas missions and the flight crew, and “everyone who has been working round the clock to help Singaporeans return home safely”, he said.

“Our thoughts remain with those whose loved ones have not yet returned.”

The national carrier will operate a second flight from Muscat to Singapore on March 8. The repatriation flights are meant for Singaporeans in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, where 60 per cent of citizens who have registered with the MFA are located.

The Government continues to explore ways to bring Singaporeans who are still in the region back home.

It is planning another repatriation flight for Singaporeans and their dependants from Saudi Arabia – from the capital Riyadh or Jeddah, its second-largest city – between March 10 and 12.

The date and time are subject to flight approvals and the ground situation, and details will be confirmed later.

In a message to Singaporeans to indicate interest in the flight, MFA said that overland transport from other places such as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and other parts of Saudi Arabia will be available to take Singaporeans to the flight location.

Separate arrangements will be made for Singaporeans in Jordan to the decided point of embarkation, it said.

In a Facebook post on March 7, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he had spoken with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about the escalating situation in the Middle East.

He said that officials from both countries have been working closely together to ensure Singaporeans remain safe as well as to facilitate arrangements for those who wish to return home.

He thanked Sheik Mohamed and the UAE authorities for their support and assistance to Singaporeans living there.

A protracted conflict in the Middle East will have serious consequences for the world, he said.

“We hope that all parties will find ways to de-escalate and restore stability to the region.

“Singapore values our close friendship with the UAE, and stands in solidarity with the UAE and its people during this challenging time.”

Singaporean Varun Seth, 40, was in Dubai for work and had intended to fly to Germany on Feb 28, but his flight was cancelled. He then decided to return home.

He was welcomed by his wife, daughter and mother-in-law at the airport, and his seven-year-old daughter gave him a tight hug and a hand-drawn card.

The senior director of a healthcare IT firm said he was thankful for the help from MFA staff, including for attending to calls late at night and ensuring the Singaporeans were well supported throughout the return journey.

When the plane touched down at Changi Airport, those on board were clapping and cheering for their smooth flight home, he added.

Another passenger, Mr Rakshit Bidani, was in Dubai for a holiday and was slated to return to London, where he works, but ended up stranded in the UAE for a week after multiple flight delays and cancellations.

Feeling uncertain about the situation, the 27-year-old corporate banker opted to take the repatriation flight back to Singapore instead of returning to London.

“I didn’t want to take a chance and, at the end of the day, I knew that MFA would take care of me no matter what,” he said.

Recounting his experience when the attacks started on Feb 28, he said that he was at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai when he saw drones striking buildings and quickly headed to safety.

“We wanted to find a way out. It was actually very synonymous to how, when Covid-19 first started, where you didn’t know what was going on, some people were living normal lives, but some people were taking it more cautiously,” he said.

“We were very confused. There’s always like an eerie feeling you don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Singaporeans in the region have been scrambling to find a way home following the closure of major airports in the Middle East, including Dubai’s, and the cancellation of various commercial flights after the US-Israel attacks on Iran on Feb 28.

Iran has retaliated and fired on most of the Gulf states, including the UAE and Oman.

On the morning of March 6, the Singapore Embassy in Abu Dhabi – the UAE’s capital – and the Consulate-General in Dubai – also in the UAE – sent off groups of Singaporeans to Muscat to catch their plane home.

They were accompanied by diplomatic officers for that first leg of the journey.

In a Facebook post on March 6, the overseas missions said Singapore’s Ambassador to the UAE Kamal R. Vaswani and Consul-General in Dubai Raziff Aljunied spoke briefly to the Singaporeans in their respective cities prior to their departure.

The post added: “Many of them have gone through a challenging week trying to secure a flight home. We are glad that they will now be able to head home and wish them a safe flight and smooth journey ahead.”

In Oman, they would be supported by the Singapore embassy there as well as an MFA crisis response team until their flight, it said.