There are 194 people on board the first Government chartered flight to bring people stranded in the Middle East home to Ireland which is due into Dublin Airport from Oman later tonight.
The flight departed the airport in Muscat, Oman, this afternoon.
It is due to make one stop in Cairo in Egypt before arriving into Dublin later.
An exact time of arrival has not been confirmed but it is understood the flight will land at Dublin Airport between 11pm and midnight.
The plane is bringing vulnerable people, including older people, children and those with medical issues, home from the region.
It had been due to take off yesterday, but due to a challenging, volatile situation on the ground in Oman it was delayed.
Passengers were accommodated at hotels overnight and the Department of Foreign Affairs said it would pay for those overnight stays.
Passengers who are on the plane are paying €800 for the cost of the flight and children under 16 are travelling for free.
It is understood the flight is not full and some people who had registered to get on the Government flight have now availed of commercial flights.
Dublin Airport operator daa said flights to the Middle East continue to be disrupted for an eighth day in a row today due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and restricted airspace.
Just two scheduled flights to the Middle East are due to operate - one inbound and one outbound Emirates flight to and from Dubai.
All other flights to Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi have been cancelled by airlines.
Graeme McQueen, head of media relations at daa, said further disruption is likely in the days ahead.
"As always, passengers due to fly should contact their airline directly for the latest updates on the status of their flight," he added.
Meanwhile, the Government has activated the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism for the Government chartered flight to repatriate citizens home.
Under the mechanism, the commission will play a key role in coordinating the response and contributing to the transport and operational costs of repatriation flights.
Up to 75% of the eligible costs for the flights can be reimbursed by the EU if at least 30% of available seats are offered to citizens from other EU countries.
The commission said it has already supported a number of other EU member states with the organisation of repatriation flights.
It said it has brought European citizens safely back to Bulgaria, Italy, Austria and Slovakia.
It said that additional repatriation flights under the mechanism are planned in the coming days.
The Government has not said if the EU mechanism will bring down the cost of the flight for the passengers on the Government-chartered flight today.
Read more: Follow live updates on developments in the Middle East
