Flights continue via Cyprus to remove people from Lebanon

Flights are continuing to and from Cyprus on Sunday to facilitate the departure of people from across the world from Lebanon and their onward journey to their countries of origin.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that an outbound flight from Larnaca to Australia was due to depart at around 3pm, taking Australian citizens who had landed in Cyprus from Lebanon on Saturday back to their home country.

A total of 229 Australian citizens had landed in Larnaca from Beirut at 11am on Saturday, while another flight with 179 Australian citizens on board landed at 4pm on the same day.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed in the early hours on Sunday morning that all 407 Australian citizens had safely arrived in Cyprus, and also said another two flights are planned.

She said those two flights are already fully booked, and as such urged Australian citizens in Lebanon to not travel to Beirut airport unless they have a confirmed seat on an outbound flight.

Meanwhile, passenger flights between Israel and Cyprus are continuing, with a total of 12 departures and 12 arrivals scheduled for Sunday.

At the same time, private boats carrying European Union citizens and diplomatic and administrative staff from missions in Lebanon are continuing to arrive at the Larnaca and Ayia Napa marinas.

Australian High Commissioner in Nicosia Fiona McKergow spoke to Australia’s public broadcaster ABC about the operation at Larnaca airport, saying, “we realise it’s a very stressful time for Australians and their families in Lebanon and we have been working to assist those wanting to leave to depart Lebanon.”

“We’ve been working very closely with — and welcome the cooperation we’ve had from — the Republic of Cyprus.”

Cypriot foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis also spoke to ABC, saying, “for countries that are far away from our region, it’s very important to have this partnership and this co-operation.”

“Our overall plan – based on the experience of 2006 where we had evacuated from Lebanon some 60,000 people in three months – we focus on having the installations needed,” he added.

“The accommodation we can offer is up to 7,000 people at any given time, but having people coming in and coming out, this number is actually maximised.”

On Saturday, Gotsis had said the operation is “not strictly the Estia scheme” as it concerns commercial flights.

“We’re not looking at a situation where commercial traffic is not available, and we had to take other steps,” he added.

Australia is one of a number of countries which have stationed military transport aircraft at Larnaca airport with a view to facilitating their citizens’ departure from Lebanon.

Portugal, for example, landed a Lockheed C-130 military transport aircraft in Larnaca, before using it to facilitate assisted departure operations for around 44 Portuguese nationals living in Lebanon last weekend.

The aircraft flew from Beirut to Larnaca and then onwards to Portugal with the Portuguese nationals on board.

Earlier, the Canadian government had announced it had reserved a total of 800 seats aboard commercial flights to help its nationals leave Lebanon, while Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour reported that the Canadian army had set up “emergency resources” in Cyprus for the eventuality that commercial flights are disrupted.

A total of 38 Cypriot nationals had been flown from Lebanon to Larnaca aboard a Greek Lockheed C-130 on Thursday, with 22 Greek nationals aboard the same aircraft continuing onwards to Athens.

The evacuation of Cypriot and other nationals from Lebanon comes as Cyprus continues to operate its ‘Estia’ plan at its “maximum state of readiness” for any potential requests from third countries.

The country is yet to receive a request from any other country, though Gotsis had told the Cyprus Mail earlier in the week that the plan, under which the country acts as a hub for EU and third country nationals to be evacuated from conflict zones to the island before travelling onwards to their countries of origin, is ready for action.

As such, the ‘Estia’ plan remains not yet activated, though this has not stopped the Cypriot government from making preparations ahead of any such request or further deterioration in Lebanon.

Cyprus’ readiness to enact the ‘Estia plan’ comes after the United Kingdom sent sent 700 troops, border force agents, and other officials to Cyprus to help with contingency planning for a range of scenarios in Lebanon.

Cyprus has been on standby for any activation of the ‘Estia’ plan throughout the summer, with deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou saying the island was ready in July.

“If help is needed, we will provide it. We have the know-how and the infrastructure to do so,” he added.

The Estia plan has been activated before, most recently in October last year following Hamas’ attack on Israel, as EU and third country nationals fled the country after the attack.

The plan entails Cyprus acting as a hub for third country nationals fleeing a neighbouring country before being repatriated to their own countries of origin.

When Sudan was evacuated in April last year, a total of 2,611 people arrived in Cyprus, while over 1,000 are known to have arrived from Israel in October.