Cyprus organizes repatriation flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi

The Republic of Cyprus has organized a series of chartered repatriation flights to bring citizens home from the United Arab Emirates following regional tensions. A Cyprus Airways Airbus A320 landed at Larnaca Airport at 18:20, carrying 180 passengers from Dubai. This marks the second flight from Dubai, bringing the total number of repatriated citizens to 362 out of 756 who registered for the service. Additionally, a Tus Air flight from Abu Dhabi carrying 143 people was scheduled to arrive at 21:00, despite experiencing delays from its original 17:35 arrival time. Government officials and airline representatives confirmed these operations are necessary due to the widespread cancellation of commercial flights in the region. Notable passengers included Styliana Averkiou, partner of Member of the European Parliament Fidias Panayiotou, who had been stranded in the area. Authorities have planned further flights to ensure all remaining registered citizens are transported back to Cyprus.