A charter flight carrying 203 Korean nationals and their foreign spouses departed from the UAE to South Korea amid escalating tensions due to the U.S.-Iran conflict.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the departure of a charter flight from Abu Dhabi to Incheon, aimed at repatriating Koreans stranded in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. The flight, operated by Etihad Airways, took off at 5:35 PM local time and is expected to arrive at Incheon Airport around 2 AM the following day. In total, 206 individuals are aboard, including 203 Koreans and three foreign spouses from the UK, France, and Canada, who were affected by numerous flight cancellations triggered by the war risks in the region.
The government prioritized vulnerable groups, including the elderly, pregnant women, and infants, for this evacuation and is considering additional charter flights depending on the situation's evolution. A joint rapid response team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Police Agency, consisting of 12 members, has been dispatched to the UAE and Oman to assist in the repatriation efforts. There are currently around 3,000 South Korean nationals in the UAE on short-term stays, with about 1,500 already having left the country via charter or connecting flights, as airspace reopened after recent closures.
In addition to air evacuations, land evacuation plans are being established based on local conditions and threats, with over 150 individuals having been assisted to evacuate to neighboring countries such as Iran, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar. Passengers on the charter flight are required to pay a fee of around 1.4 million won in accordance with relevant laws.
