Evacuation from Middle East: what’s happening with flights and when Kazakhstanis will return
How many people have already returned
According to the Civil Aviation Committee, on the night of 4–5 March five aircraft of Air Astana and Flydubai arrived in Kazakhstan, bringing 851 passengers.
“In total, since 3 March, 12 flights have been operated from Middle Eastern countries to Kazakhstan, returning 2,111 passengers. Taking into account the flights planned for today, about 4,000 citizens will be brought back from the Middle East,” the agency reported.
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Additional flights by Kazakh and foreign airlines are scheduled for 5 March:
Air Astana – two flights Jeddah – Aktau – Almaty and Jeddah – Atyrau – Almaty;SCAT – two flights Muscat – Almaty;
Air Arabia – one flight Sharjah – Almaty, plus a second flight on the same route later in the day;FlyDubai – flights from Dubai to Almaty and Astana (exact number to be determined).
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Who gets priority on these flights
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in the UAE said that when compiling passenger lists, priority is given to:
pensioners;children;pregnant women;people with disabilities.
“Citizens who received the relevant phone calls have been included in the lists for the nearest flights. All citizens who are not yet on the list will be sent on subsequent evacuation flights,” the diplomatic mission noted.
The embassy asked people to treat the situation with understanding and stressed that work to return all citizens is continuing.
What the airlines say
The Air Astana group announced an extension of flight cancellations to the Middle East.
“The group is cancelling its regular flights to Dubai, Jeddah, Medina and Doha through 10 March inclusive, and ticket sales to these cities are temporarily suspended until 17 March. Free rebooking is available until 30 April inclusive, and refunds are possible until 11 March inclusive,” the airline said.
Meanwhile, FlyDubai’s press service reported a partial restoration of flights.
“The airline has resumed operations across its network on a reduced schedule. We are constantly updating the timetable and adding new flights as airspace restrictions are lifted. We continue to closely monitor the situation. Flight times may be longer than usual due to temporary route changes,” the carrier stated.
Passengers are urged not to go to the airport without a confirmed booking or official notification of rebooking.
“Customers transiting through Dubai on FlyDubai flights will only be allowed to depart from their point of origin if their connecting flight is confirmed and operating,” the press service added.
The company also noted that its contact centre is experiencing a heavy load and asked for understanding regarding possible waiting times.
“Customers who booked travel between 28 February and 31 March can rebook free of charge to an alternative flight on the same route within 30 days of the original departure date. Passengers who purchased tickets through travel agents should contact them directly to clarify rebooking or refund options,” the airline added.
Before heading to the airport, passengers are advised to check the status of their flight on the airline’s website.
“Customers are asked to make sure their contact details are up to date in the ‘Manage Booking’ section,” the carrier specified.
Passengers are advised to follow the official announcements of airlines and government agencies and wait for a personal notification if they are included in evacuation lists.