S’pore to mount repatriation flights on March 7 and 8 from Muscat in Oman
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The repatriation flight planned for March 7 is to cater to Singaporeans in Oman and the United Arab Emirates
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE – The Republic is planning for repatriation flights on March 7 and March 8 to bring Singaporeans home from Muscat, Oman.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) will also be working with airlines and the local authorities in the region to explore the feasibility of further repatriation flights, taking into account flight routes and airports’ reopening schedules.
On March 5, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang said MFA will also launch assisted overland trips in the coming days to help Singaporeans in Bahrain and Qatar reach Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where airports are open and there are commercial flights still available.
“We will be reaching out to Singaporeans who have recently indicated that they would like assistance to return to Singapore,” she told reporters outside Parliament House.
Ms Gan said MFA has deployed its crisis response team to the Middle East region, with three officers in Muscat. Another two officers will be deployed to Riyadh, she added.
The repatriation flight planned for March 7 is to cater to Singaporeans in Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are where about 60 per cent of citizens who are e-registered with MFA are located.
In the evening on March 5, the ministry said there will be a second flight on March 8 to cater to high demand.
Singaporeans in other parts of the Middle East interested in taking these flights should reach out to the Republic’s embassies in the region, or contact the MFA Duty Office on 6379-8000/8855 or mfa_duty_officer@mfa.gov.sg
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Government will do everything it can to help Singaporeans in the region wishing to return home to do so safely.
“The safety and well-being of Singaporeans remain our top priority,” he said in a social media post. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our overseas missions are working around the clock to assist those affected.”
Major airports in the Middle East, including Dubai’s, had been shut on Feb 28 scrambling to find a way home
MFA had earlier advised Singaporeans to defer all travel to Israel, Iran and the Middle East, in view of the volatile security situation and disruptions to flights to the region.
Travellers have also been advised to make alternative travel arrangements for flights not transiting through the region due to potential disruptions arising from airspace closures or flight cancellations.
Flights between the UAE and Singapore resumed on March 5, with passengers landing at Changi Airport to the relief of their families.
One Singaporean passenger, Mr Muhammad Hafiz, who landed on a Turkish Airlines flight, said he had received guidance from MFA and local partners that allowed him to get to Jordan’s capital of Amman via land checkpoints.
Mr Hafiz, a board member of disaster relief group Mercy Relief headquartered in Singapore, had been one of three people volunteering at refugee camps in the West Bank.
Mr Muhammad Hafiz said he had received guidance from MFA and local partners that allowed him to get to Jordan’s capital of Amman via land checkpoints.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
On March 5, Ms Gan urged Singaporeans who are in the Middle East region to shelter in place, and to heed the advice of the local authorities.
Those who have yet to e-register with MFA should also do so, as this would allow the ministry to provide them with useful information, she added.
The ministry said further updates will be provided on the social media pages of MFA’s foreign missions, such as for Bahrain and Riyadh.
