First Flight Carrying Australians Rescued From Middle East Lands in Sydney

The first group of Australians evacuated from the Middle East has safely arrived in after being stranded due to the escalating regional conflict.

An flight EK414 departed from and landed in Sydney just before 10:30 p.m., carrying nearly 200 passengers, including students and travellers who had been unable to leave the region following the outbreak of hostilities.

Many families gathered at to welcome their loved ones home in emotional reunions.

One of those waiting was Sheree, a mother from , whose son had been travelling to before becoming stranded in Dubai.

She described the situation as stressful and frightening, explaining that her son and others were advised to stay inside their hotels due to falling debris from intercepted drones and missiles during the ongoing conflict.

“He told me, ‘Mum, I’ve got to hang up, there are bombs going off,’” she recalled.

Dubai’s has now partially reopened with limited services after disruptions caused by missile debris over the weekend.

Airlines including , , and have also resumed some flights, although several services remain cancelled.

Australia’s Foreign Minister has advised Australians still in the region to use available commercial flights while authorities monitor the situation.

The Australian government estimates there are about 20,000 Australians in the UAE and over 115,000 across the wider Middle East.

Meanwhile, has announced an additional A380 flight from Sydney to London via Singapore to help stranded passengers continue their journeys to Europe and the United Kingdom.