Cyprus concludes repatriation flights from the Middle East

On March 11, 2026, the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the completion of its scheduled repatriation operations due to the regional conflict in the Middle East. A final Cyprus Airways flight carrying 149 passengers arrived in Cyprus from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Over the preceding week, the Ministry’s National Crisis Management Centre coordinated a total of eight chartered flights that evacuated 1,181 individuals from the crisis zone. The evacuees primarily consisted of Cypriot citizens, permanent residents, and nationals of other European Union member states. Previously, on the same day, another repatriation flight arrived from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, with 82 passengers on board, involving coordination with embassies in Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The government stated that while the scheduled charter program is complete, the Ministry and its diplomatic missions will continue providing consular assistance to citizens remaining in the region. The operations were facilitated by cooperation with local authorities, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.