The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' extraordinary flight from Muscat to Tallinn, which was scheduled to depart on Thursday at 4 p.m. local time, has now been postponed until Friday due to congestion at Muscat Airport and in regional airspace.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) expressed hope on Thursday that the next special flight could depart as early as Friday (March 6). According to the latest information available, Friday's flight will be the first repatriation flight.

"The current plan is to have one flight every day. /---/ We will announce the next flight as soon as it has been confirmed. We will inform the public and those registered on the Reisi Targalt platform," Tsahkna said on Thursday.

The extraordinary flight will depart from Muscat, the capital of Oman, as the airspace over Dubai and Abu Dhabi remains closed. Transportation will be arranged for people there to get to Muscat in order to board the flight. The first flight will carry 180 passengers.

The price of a single ticket is €400. There is an additional €50 transfer fee to avoid confusion and delays. The cost to the Estonian state is €1,000 per person.

FM: We are working to organize repatriation flights

"Accommodation will be arranged for all people in Muscat who are waiting for the first Estonian special flight. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is negotiating with several airlines to organize additional flights for Estonian citizens and to ensure their safe return. We are also working to organize special flights from Dubai in the coming days," Tsahkna said in a written statement on Thursday evening.

According to the minister, the situation in the region is tense and affecting hundreds of thousands of travelers.

"According to the information we have received, around 4,500 passengers have been turned away from Muscat Airport today," he said.

"We are negotiating with several airlines to organize additional flights for Estonian citizens as quickly as possible. We expect to be able to provide information about new flights by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, but the exact timing depends on confirmation from the airlines," Tsahkna explained.

Priority for registration on the new flights will be given to families traveling with at least two children.

"We have collected the data of these families, and they will receive a notification. Naturally, it is important for us that all Estonian citizens currently in the Middle East are able to return to Estonia, and we are working to organize these flights."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will provide further information as soon as possible and asks travelers to follow their official communication channels.

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