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Rescue plane to the crisis regionEvacuation flights in chaos: Lufthansa cancels rescue mission – Eurowings brings German vacationers
Eurowings is now sending an evacuation flight from Riyadh to Cologne. A French repatriation flight even had to turn back because of rocket fire. (symbol image)
Federico Gambarini/dpa
The war in the Middle East is pushing even rescue operations to their limits.
A planned Lufthansa evacuation flight had to suddenly turn off. At the same time, Eurowings is launching a rescue mission to get German vacationers out of the region. Missile alarms, closed airspace and hectic decisions show that the way home is anything but safe for many tourists.
Lufthansa suddenly cancels evacuation flight
As Focus writes, Lufthansa had to cancel a planned evacuation flight from the Saudi capital Riyadh at short notice. After consulting with headquarters, the captain decided to turn to Cairo. According to Focus, Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr explains: “Safety comes first.”
The plane will no longer fly on to Riyadh. The reason: the extremely tense security situation in the region. Such situations could become more common in the coming weeks.
Special flight from Riyadh: Airbus brings German tourists to Cologne
Another rescue operation is underway at the same time. The Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings is organizing its own evacuation flight from the crisis region for the first time on its own account. So far, the airline has mainly operated on behalf of the federal government. An Airbus A320 is scheduled to take off from the Saudi capital Riyadh to Cologne on the night of Friday to Saturday.
On board: around 150 German vacationers. They had booked their trip through the organizer Eurowings Holidays and were surprised by the US-Israeli attack on Iran in Dubai and the surrounding area. The tourists have already been transported across the border to Saudi Arabia by bus. According to the company, the plane with flight number EW6131 is expected in Cologne around 12:30 a.m.
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After the escalation of the conflict, numerous countries temporarily closed their airspace completely. Tens of thousands of travelers are therefore stuck or only get home with long detours. Limited flights are now possible again, but the security situation remains tense.
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French evacuation flight has to turn back due to missile alarm
Another dramatic incident on a French repatriation flight shows how tense the situation is. An Air France plane chartered by the government had to turn back on its way to Dubai due to rocket fire in the region. “Due to the current security situation at the destination, this return flight is suspended,” explains the airline. “The safety of our customers and crew members is our top priority.”
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According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, over 5,000 French people want to leave the crisis region, 750 of whom have already been flown out. France's Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot clearly warns: “This situation shows the instability in the region and the complexity of the return operations.”
Government is planning more flights
Germany is also planning further evacuations. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced on Instagram that another plane from the airline Sundair would land in Riyadh on Sunday. Particularly vulnerable Germans, such as pregnant women, sick people or older people, should first be brought overland from Qatar to Saudi Arabia in order to bring them to safety from there. However, thousands of Germans are still waiting for a ticket out of the chaos. (nha)
Sources used: dpa, Focus
