The second Government charter flight from the Gulf, assisting Irish citizens in the region, will arrive in Dublin this afternoon.
The flight took off from Abu Dhabi with 217 people on board, including 27 citizens of other EU member states accommodated under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which has also benefited Irish citizens coming home from other parts of the Gulf.
The Irish embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said that the initial focus was on vulnerable citizens stranded in the Gulf region.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee thanked the UAE authorities for their help in arranging the flight.
In a post on social media she confirmed that the Government charter flight from Abu Dhabi had taken off.
I'm pleased to confirm that the second Government charter flight from Abu Dhabi, assisting Irish citizens in the Gulf region, has departed and will arrive in Dublin this afternoon. Thank you to the UAE authorities for assisting in facilitating this. @dfatirl
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) March 11, 2026
The first flight arrived back in Ireland on Sunday morning.
That aircraft touched down at Dublin Airport from Oman with 194 passengers on board, of which 180 were Irish citizens.
The flight plane was delayed on the runway in Cairo, Egypt due to technical issues, and again in Oman over what was described as a challenging and volatile situation on the ground there.
