Hungary has launched its first evacuation flight to Jordan to bring home citizens stranded in the Middle East because of the ongoing war and widespread airspace restrictions, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday.
The minister reported that the situation in the Middle East remains difficult, with continuous missile and drone attacks against several Arab countries overnight. As a result, serious airspace closures and restrictions are still in place, making flights to many destinations practically impossible.
Despite these challenges, Hungary managed to dispatch an evacuation flight on Wednesday. The aircraft departed from Kecskemét shortly before the announcement and is scheduled to land in Amman, the capital of Jordan, before returning to Hungary with passengers.
According to the minister, the flight will bring home 87 people in total, including 83 Hungarian citizens as well as two Romanian, one Slovak and one Colombian national.
Most of those being evacuated had previously been in Israel. Because Israel’s airspace is currently completely closed, the country can only be left via land routes. Hungarian authorities assisted a group of 51 pilgrims in crossing the border into Jordan overland, while an additional group of more than 30 people currently staying in Jordan will also be transported back to Hungary on the same flight.
Szijjártó said that evacuation operations will continue in the coming days. Another flight is scheduled to depart on Thursday, again returning Hungarians from Amman who were stranded in the region or managed to reach Jordan after leaving Israel by land.
On Friday, the focus will shift to Egypt, specifically the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. According to the minister, those who remained stuck in Israel due to the complete airspace closure have two main options for leaving the country overland: either via Jordan or Egypt. Hungarian authorities expect to bring them home during the course of the week.
He added that airline connections from Egypt may also improve soon, as Wizz Air is planning to increase the frequency of its flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to ten per week, allowing stranded travellers to return to Hungary on scheduled services as well.
The foreign minister emphasized that he remains in continuous contact with his counterparts in the region in order to help as many Hungarian citizens as possible. However, he warned that the ongoing airspace closures in several countries still make it difficult for people to return home.
Hungarian embassies in the region are operating at full capacity, while consular services remain available to assist citizens who require help during the crisis, he said.
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