The repatriation of Belgians currently stranded in the Middle East due to the close of airspace above the Gulf States will not go ahead on Friday (6 March). The Belgian Defence Ministry has confirmed information received by VRT News that the repatriation flight planned for today will not go ahead. Instead, Belgians that have indicated that they wish to be repatriated by the Belgian Air Force will be flown home tomorrow (Saturday 7 March). The delay is due to issues regarding obtaining authorisation to fly through the airspace of certain countries on route to the Gulf.
A Belgian military passenger transport aircraft was scheduled to pick up Belgians in Oman on Friday and then then stop in Egypt before flying on to Brussels. However, Egypt was unable to provide the necessary aviation documentation to allow the aircraft to land there.
It remains to be seen when the repatriation can take place. The Ministry of Defence is talking about a delay of 1 day but adds that “the situation is very unstable”. On Thursday a Belgian military transport plane encountered the same issues now faced by the military passenger plane.
Meanwhile, a first bus carrying evacuees has left Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, for Muscat, the capital of Oman. It is there that Belgian nationals were due to board a flight chartered by the Ministry of Defence for their repatriation on Friday.
However, the aircraft that was scheduled to depart from Melsbroek Military Airport on Thursday did not take off. The Foreign Ministry says that the aircraft will attempt to depart on Friday.