Hundreds of Irish nationals who had been trapped across the Gulf this week are finally making their way home after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) mounted an intensive assisted-departure operation.
In a statement issued on 6 March 2026, Minister for Justice and interim Foreign Affairs minister Helen McEntee confirmed that three charter flights have now left the region since Tuesday, with the latest rotation due to land in Dublin on Friday evening.
The flights were organised after commercial carriers suspended services when regional airspace restrictions were imposed following a sharp escalation of hostilities.
More than 18,000 Irish citizens registered with the DFA’s Consular Crisis Centre within 72 hours of the first strikes.
Embassy staff in Dubai, Doha and Muscat worked around the clock to triage cases, prioritising families with small children, elderly travellers and business visitors whose visas were close to expiry.
A separate hub was established in neighbouring Oman, where officials booked hotel rooms at State expense when an outbound flight was delayed overnight because of air-traffic congestion.
At moments like this, having the right paperwork squared away is half the battle. Irish travellers who still need to extend an expiring visa, arrange a multiple-entry permit or secure documentation for onward travel can turn to VisaHQ, which offers quick online processing and live support for destinations across the Gulf and beyond. Further details are available at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/
![Irish Government Coordinates Airlift for Citizens Caught in Gulf Conflict]()
For citizens still in the Gulf, the Department is urging travellers to use reinstated commercial options where possible.
McEntee stressed that the ad-hoc charters are designed to supplement – not replace – scheduled services, which began to reopen on Thursday once over-flight clearances were granted.
Those unable to secure seats have been told to keep their contact details updated on the DFA’s online registration portal so they can be reached at short notice.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the incident underlines how quickly geopolitical events can disrupt well-travelled business corridors.
Irish multinationals with regional headquarters in Dubai and Doha have reminded staff to review crisis-management plans and to ensure that travel insurance includes evacuation coverage.
Travel managers are also advising employees transiting through the Gulf in the coming weeks to build in extra connection time, as flight schedules remain fluid.
The DFA’s handling of the operation has generally been praised by industry groups such as the Irish Business & Employers Confederation (IBEC), which noted the clear, real-time updates issued through social channels.
The crisis, however, has reignited calls for the creation of a standing rapid-response airlift capability – a recommendation first floated after the Sudan evacuation in 2023 – to give Ireland greater autonomy in future contingencies.
In a statement issued on 6 March 2026, Minister for Justice and interim Foreign Affairs minister Helen McEntee confirmed that three charter flights have now left the region since Tuesday, with the latest rotation due to land in Dublin on Friday evening.
The flights were organised after commercial carriers suspended services when regional airspace restrictions were imposed following a sharp escalation of hostilities.
More than 18,000 Irish citizens registered with the DFA’s Consular Crisis Centre within 72 hours of the first strikes.
Embassy staff in Dubai, Doha and Muscat worked around the clock to triage cases, prioritising families with small children, elderly travellers and business visitors whose visas were close to expiry.
A separate hub was established in neighbouring Oman, where officials booked hotel rooms at State expense when an outbound flight was delayed overnight because of air-traffic congestion.
At moments like this, having the right paperwork squared away is half the battle. Irish travellers who still need to extend an expiring visa, arrange a multiple-entry permit or secure documentation for onward travel can turn to VisaHQ, which offers quick online processing and live support for destinations across the Gulf and beyond. Further details are available at https://www.visahq.com/ireland/
For citizens still in the Gulf, the Department is urging travellers to use reinstated commercial options where possible.
McEntee stressed that the ad-hoc charters are designed to supplement – not replace – scheduled services, which began to reopen on Thursday once over-flight clearances were granted.
Those unable to secure seats have been told to keep their contact details updated on the DFA’s online registration portal so they can be reached at short notice.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the incident underlines how quickly geopolitical events can disrupt well-travelled business corridors.
Irish multinationals with regional headquarters in Dubai and Doha have reminded staff to review crisis-management plans and to ensure that travel insurance includes evacuation coverage.
Travel managers are also advising employees transiting through the Gulf in the coming weeks to build in extra connection time, as flight schedules remain fluid.
The DFA’s handling of the operation has generally been praised by industry groups such as the Irish Business & Employers Confederation (IBEC), which noted the clear, real-time updates issued through social channels.
The crisis, however, has reignited calls for the creation of a standing rapid-response airlift capability – a recommendation first floated after the Sudan evacuation in 2023 – to give Ireland greater autonomy in future contingencies.
