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A second Qatar Airways 777 flight for Australians stranded in Lebanon is due to touch down in Sydney as repatriation efforts step up.
It comes after the first landed on Monday night with 349 passengers onboard travelling from Cyprus via Doha.
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The Australian government has asked both Qantas and the Middle Eastern airline to help repatriate citizens who have scheduled services free of charge. A RAAF C-130J Hercules and C-17 Globemaster are also assisting with efforts.
The move to repatriate Australians follows a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East, with the Israeli military firing rockets into Lebanon last month before moving in troops as part of its action against terrorist group Hezbollah.
Currently, Australians and permanent residents in the war-torn country are being flown first to Larnaca, Cyprus, a 40-minute flight away, before being taken to Sydney.
While Qatar are flying via Doha using its 777, Qantas is flying direct using its ultra-long-rang 787 Dreamliners.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said earlier that the government’s message to those still in Lebanon is to leave.
“We’ve got about 3,600 Australians who have now registered with our embassy in Beirut, expressing a desire to have some form of assisted departure and we will continue to work with them and to provide those opportunities to leave, but people simply have to take those opportunities as they are provided,” he said.
“In practice, the situation in Lebanon is very difficult, which is why we have been very clear for months now that now is the time to leave. And now, literally, is the time to leave. I mean, we are providing for flights.
“It matters that people take the seats that are available to them … We will continue to do what we can to provide assisted departure for Australians in Lebanon. But all of this is obviously taking place in an extremely difficult situation.
“And we have, you know, we’ve got other preparations in plan, we do have a couple of C-130 Hercules aircraft which are in Cyprus right now.
“There is a C-17 Royal Australian Air Force plane which is on the ground in Cyprus right now, and it will be relocating elsewhere within the region.
“We’ve got Defence Force personnel on the ground in Cyprus. So, there’s a lot of planning, a lot of operations which are going on to try and assist in this moment, but people need to take the opportunities which are being provided to them.”
Qatar’s involvement significantly comes a week after it revealed it was to take a 25 per cent stake in Virgin, which will now be flying repatriated Australians onwards to their nearest domestic airport free of charge.
Australians in the region who are seeking Australian government support should register via DFAT’s Crisis Portal or by calling the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to provide updates to registered Australians.
Geoff Fairless
says:Does anyone else think it ironic that the “Middle East airline” quoted above (the paintwork suggests Qatar), should be the very same airline that continued serving Australia through COVID, and is now assisting to repatriate Australians from Cyprus, is the same one that was denied extra services into Australia!
Not sure what goes on in Canberra!