First direct flight from Dubai brings hundreds of South Koreans home

More than 370 South Korean nationals returned home on Friday, March 6, aboard the first direct commercial flight from Dubai since last week’s US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, according to airport officials, quoted by Korean media.

An Emirates flight landed at Incheon International Airport, located west of Seoul, at around 8:25 p.m. The aircraft was carrying 422 passengers in total, including 372 South Korean citizens, officials said.

The flight marked the first direct commercial service from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Incheon since the war involving Iran began last weekend.

The South Korean government had previously said it held consultations with authorities in the UAE to facilitate the safe return of its citizens from the Middle East through direct flights.

According to government estimates, about 18,000 South Korean nationals are currently in 14 Middle Eastern countries. This figure includes roughly 4,900 short-term travellers, of whom about 3,500 have been stranded after numerous flights were cancelled amid the regional crisis.

By Tamilla Hasanova