190 Irish citizens on charter flight home from Middle East

Passengers are welcomed by family members as they arrive at Dublin Airport following an Irish Government chartered flight from Oman on Sunday morning. Picture: Evan Treacy/PA

A second Government charter flight has departed the Middle East, with 190 Irish citizens set to arrive in Dublin Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for foreign affairs minister Helen McEntee confirmed the flight took off from Abu Dhabi this morning.

A total of 217 people are on board the aircraft. Twenty-seven are citizens of other EU countries who are being brought to Dublin under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. 

The spokesperson for Ms McEntee said the remaining 190 passengers are Irish citizens.

This is the second charter flight organised by the Government to evacuate citizens from the Gulf region since the US and Israel began war in Iran.

The Government’s first chartered flight from Oman touched down on Sunday morning, after making a stop in Cairo.

It was carrying 194 people and was chartered to bring stranded, vulnerable Irish citizens home amid escalating scenes of hostilities between Israel, the US, and Iran.