Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has announced that four government-chartered flights will operate this weekend to repatriate citizens stranded across the Gulf amid escalating regional tensions. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) late on 6 March, the minister confirmed that an Airbus A330 MRTT of the Belgian Air Component will leave Muscat on Saturday with 185 nationals on board, while two A400M airlifters will carry around 200 people from Dubai to Hurghada on Sunday. A final Cyprus Airways charter will uplift another 180 passengers from Dubai via Larnaca to Brussels. (belganewsagency.eu)
The operation follows days of diplomatic wrangling to secure over-flight and landing permits after commercial carriers cut frequencies to the region. Belgium activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, allowing costs to be shared with nine other member states that have requested assistance. A crisis cell staffed by 80 officials is coordinating passenger manifests, with priority given to minors, medical cases and business travellers on limited visas.
Amid this fluid environment, VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can assist travellers and employers by providing real-time visa requirements, emergency document replacement and fast-track processing, ensuring that anyone whose itinerary changes at short notice can still secure the paperwork needed to leave or transit through third-country hubs.
![Belgium lines up four evacuation flights to bring 565 nationals home from Middle-East hotspots]()
For internationally mobile companies with Belgian employees on assignment in the Gulf, the airlift provides a critical but temporary solution. Mobility teams are being advised to review destination risk ratings, ensure travellers have multiple exit options, and remind staff to register on the Foreign Ministry’s Travellers Online portal so they can be located quickly in future emergencies.
Employers should also prepare for post-arrival support. Under Belgian labour law, workers evacuated from conflict zones are entitled to medical screening and psychological counselling paid for by the company. Tax advisers note that evacuation costs are normally deductible as business expenses, but only if adequate documentation is kept.
The Foreign Ministry stresses that security conditions could yet force last-minute changes to the flight plan. Passengers are urged to stay near designated assembly points and maintain contact with the embassy duty officer until boarding. Should capacity become limited, Belgium is discussing seat-swap arrangements with France and the Netherlands, whose militaries are also operating charter lifts this weekend.
The operation follows days of diplomatic wrangling to secure over-flight and landing permits after commercial carriers cut frequencies to the region. Belgium activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, allowing costs to be shared with nine other member states that have requested assistance. A crisis cell staffed by 80 officials is coordinating passenger manifests, with priority given to minors, medical cases and business travellers on limited visas.
Amid this fluid environment, VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can assist travellers and employers by providing real-time visa requirements, emergency document replacement and fast-track processing, ensuring that anyone whose itinerary changes at short notice can still secure the paperwork needed to leave or transit through third-country hubs.
For internationally mobile companies with Belgian employees on assignment in the Gulf, the airlift provides a critical but temporary solution. Mobility teams are being advised to review destination risk ratings, ensure travellers have multiple exit options, and remind staff to register on the Foreign Ministry’s Travellers Online portal so they can be located quickly in future emergencies.
Employers should also prepare for post-arrival support. Under Belgian labour law, workers evacuated from conflict zones are entitled to medical screening and psychological counselling paid for by the company. Tax advisers note that evacuation costs are normally deductible as business expenses, but only if adequate documentation is kept.
The Foreign Ministry stresses that security conditions could yet force last-minute changes to the flight plan. Passengers are urged to stay near designated assembly points and maintain contact with the embassy duty officer until boarding. Should capacity become limited, Belgium is discussing seat-swap arrangements with France and the Netherlands, whose militaries are also operating charter lifts this weekend.
More From Belgium
View all
Brussels Airport tells passengers “no departures” on 12 March as nationwide strike looms
EU Home-Affairs ministers meet in Brussels, put voluntary returns and new Schengen governance at the top of the agenda
