There were emotional scenes at Dublin Airport as a number of Irish citizens arrived back home after being stuck in Dubai since the US/Iran war caused severe disruption to airlines across the Middle East.
Emirates flight EK163 landed at Dublin Airport at 11pm last night.
A large number of the 384 passengers were people transiting through Dublin before going on to other European destinations.
Family members waited for their loved ones, who said the last few days had been a very worrying time waiting for news of flights.
Norita Geary from Newcastle West said she was delighted to be back;
"It was like being in the movies," she said.
Her sister and brother-in-law Elaine and Ronan Gleeson carried flowers and a welcome home balloon, and hugged her tight when she walked through the doors of the arrivals hall.
Most people were those who were transiting through Dubai as they flew from other parts of Asia and Australia.Many had been visiting family or were on holiday, while some were working.
Tim Riordan from Cork was welcomed by his wife Rachel and their two children, 2-year-old Fionn and 5-year-old Olivia. They had brought a home-made sign with them to welcome their Daddy home.
Some criticised what they said was a lack of information; Sean Gibbons from Galway said he was disappointed with the Irish Embassy in the UAE for not getting more Irish citizens on the flight.
A number of passengers said they were flying on to London, Birmingham, Vienna and Montenegro and were just passing through Dublin.
A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said there is another Emirates flight due tomorrow.
The government has chartered a flight which is due to leave Oman on Friday.
The five-day-old US-Israeli bombing campaign of Iran has led to the closure of nearly all the airspace in the region.
Irish citizens are also due to be brought home on a Government chartered flight from Oman in the coming days.
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.
They're home!
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) March 4, 2026
The first flight from Dubai in almost 5 days - @emirates EK163 - arrived into Dublin Airport just before 11pm, bringing more than 368 passengers back to Ireland. pic.twitter.com/lMIKtwMtSx
The Irish Embassy in the UAE thanked all those had registered but warned that registration is not an expression of interest in a flight.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee cited it as a "positive development", adding that the department is "in close touch with the airline".
Minister McEntee said more flights will follow and that she expects the Government to charter more flights "if necessary".
She said the Government had signed a contract for a chartered flight from Muscat in Oman, to fly people home "at the end of the week".
Watch: Minister confirms Govt to charter flight from Oman for 280 Irish citizens
It was previously confirmed that vulnerable passengers would be prioritised for the charter flight.
Asked about reports of citizens being asked to contribute €800 towards the cost of the chartered flight, she said that was a "substantially reduced charge compared to what the cost of the overall flight is".
Ms McEntee also said that children would fly for free on the charter flight, which she expected would bring over 300 people home.
She also said the Government would pay for transporting people by bus to Muscat from the UAE.
Ms McEntee reiterated advice to remaining Irish citizens to remain sheltered and if they have access to a flight to take it.
"For most people in the UAE, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the quickest way home for them is to get a commercial flight," she said.
"The airlines themselves are directly going through their own passenger list, and they're trying to get as many of those who are caught in transit, those who are on holidays, on those flights and home."
It has been agreed that citizens from Northern Ireland can access assistance from both the Irish and British governments.
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: +353(0)14082000
People from Northern Ireland who do not hold an Irish passport but wish to register their presence with the Irish government should contact the number above.
People from Northern Ireland who do not hold a British passport but wish to register their presence with the British government should can contact the 24/7 Consular Call Centre on +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
