In the early hours of Saturday morning, the first two evacuation flights carrying Estonian tourists from Oman and Dubai landed at Tallinn Airport.
A Heston Airlines Airbus A320 arrived in Tallinn carrying 180 passengers, while a second flight, an Airbus A220 operated by AirBaltic, brought another 140 people.
A third flight organized by Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) also landed in Riga early Saturday.
According to Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200), priority on these flights were given to families with three or more children and travelers with health concerns.
The MFA is organizing flights with three airlines: FlyDubai, AirBaltic and Heston Airlines. Travelers arriving in Riga will be returned to Estonia by bus.
Bookings opened Friday to several additional evacuation flights out of the region. As of Friday evening, the Heston flight departing Dubai on Sunday was already fully booked.
“This evening, one AirBaltic flight will depart from Dubai to Tallinn and one FlyDubai flight to Riga,” Tsahkna said Saturday, adding that the sold-out FlyDubai flight to Riga and a Heston flight to Tallinn are scheduled for Sunday.
Travelers must have registered their short-term stay in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the MFA’s Reisi Targalt (Travel Smart) website to qualify.
The first evacuation flights from the Middle East arrived in Tallinn from Dubai and Oman in the early hours of Saturday morning. March 7, 2026. Source: Priit Mürk/ERR
With regular commercial flights gradually resuming, no additional evacuation flights are currently planned, the minister said.
“However, the situation in the UAE is very dynamic, and we are ready to adjust plans if necessary,” he added.
It is also coordinating with European partners and may place citizens on flights organized by other countries. A limited number of seats may also be offered to other EU citizens.
Tsahkna said Estonian citizens currently in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait — along with family members with Estonian residence permits — are being assisted individually in returning home.
Dubai flights temporarily suspended
On Saturday morning, the UAE announced all flights in and out of Dubai were canceled until further notice, though airport operations have since resumed.
Estonia has two evacuation flights scheduled to depart Dubai on Saturday: a FlyDubai flight to Riga and an AirBaltic flight to Tallinn.
Estonian citizens currently in the Middle East are asked to register their short-term stay with the MFA.
Click here for the ministry’s latest updates and more details on the evacuation flights.
—
Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!