On Saturday night, the first two repatriation flights from Dubai operated by Latvia's national airline airBaltic successfully landed in Riga. According to flight tracking information from Flightradar24, the first flight, designated BT7701, was scheduled to depart on Friday at 15:50 local time but was delayed by over an hour, eventually taking off at 16:52 following Latvian time. In contrast, the second repatriation flight BT7703 left Dubai on time at 17:12 Latvian time, making its journey to the Latvian capital as well.

Both flights made a technical stop in Iraklion, Greece, with each flight providing a total of 145 seats, all of which were occupied, as confirmed by Augusts Zilberts, head of public and political relations at airBaltic. This indicates a strong demand for repatriation services from individuals wishing to return to Latvia, likely due to ongoing travel restrictions and concerns related to international travel.

Additionally, a third repatriation flight, BT7756, is scheduled to take off from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai at 19:20 local time on Saturday. This flight is also expected to carry passengers back to Riga, further demonstrating airBaltic's commitment to assisting Latvian citizens in returning from abroad during these challenging times. The airline's initiatives highlight the importance of connectivity and support in the face of global travel disruptions.