Bulgaria Organizes Complex Land and Air Evacuations Across Middle East

Jerusalem, 5 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Sofia (BTA) – One hundred eighty Bulgarian citizens are expected to return home at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia, evacuated on a special Bulgaria Air flight from Dubai while another 111 evacuated from Salalah, Oman, on a Bulgaria Air charter flight will also arrive. This was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in connection with the situation in the Middle East.

According to data from the Situation Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of 2:00 p.m. today, on March 5, a State Aviation Operator flight from Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) with 85 people on board, as well as a Gulliver Airlines flight from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 326 people on board, landed in Bulgaria.

According to information from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the European Union cooperation mechanism has been activated with an evacuation flight from Riyadh to Vienna. 29 seats on board have been agreed for Bulgarian citizens, 16 from Bahrain, 10 from Saudi Arabia and three from Qatar. This flight is currently being operated.

The Embassy provided assistance to tour operator agencies for a total of 130 Bulgarian citizens in Jordan.

In recent days, a total of 20 Bulgarian citizens have been evacuated by land across the border with Turkey or Jordan from Iraq, where there are no longer any Bulgarian citizens to evacuate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pointed out that Kuwait’s airspace is currently closed and no civilian airport is operating. There are eight Bulgarian tourists in the country, and the embassy is working on a specific option for their evacuation.

There are 14 short-term Bulgarian citizens in Israel, who left by land from Tel Aviv, and two more left Israel by another route.

A total of 47 Bulgarian citizens, including 14 Iranian citizens – family members, are residing in Iran, the Foreign Ministry added. Two have requested evacuation, but since they have dual citizenship, they cannot leave the country.

The formed crisis headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organizing the largest and most complex operation to date to evacuate Bulgarian citizens from several countries in the Middle East region, the ministry also indicated. The operation is being carried out by land and air transport. All possible mechanisms are being used, including the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working in constant coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, as well as with the Prime Minister’s Office for the successful implementation of the operation, the foreign ministry also indicated.

The UAE’s airspace is open, with commercial flights operating, which allows tour operators to begin operating flights with Bulgarian citizens who have traveled to the UAE in an organized manner, thus successfully fulfilling their commitments to their clients, the ministry added.

Qatar’s airspace is not expected to open in the coming days, there are still Bulgarian citizens who have expressed a desire to be evacuated from the country. The efforts of the Crisis Headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are focused on assistance, including through options via Saudi Arabia by land.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Bulgarian citizens affected by the situation with suspended flights through airports in the Middle East, but located outside the zones of active military operations, should maintain contact with their air carriers or tour operators to provide alternative routes through third destinations for return to Bulgaria.