The TAROM repatriation flights of over 300 Romanians stranded in the Middle East have been postponed. Company announcement
The special TAROM flights intended for the repatriation of over 300 Romanians in the Middle East were postponed until the evening of March 2, due to delays in ground transport and border formalities that could have exceeded the crews' duty hours.
Romanians, stuck in airports in the Middle East PHOTO: Răzvan Pascu/FB
The company said that the delays of groups moving to Cairo airport increase the risk of crews exceeding the legal duty (out-of-duty) time, with the potential to block the operation and the aircraft in the territory of Egypt.
“The special flights organized to bring more than 300 Romanians back to the country are rescheduled for the evening of March 2. Land transport and border formalities have led to long delays for groups of passengers traveling to Cairo airport. Under these conditions, the risk of exceeding the crews' duty time, with the potential of blocking the aircraft in Egypt, is inevitable”, the company said.
According to TAROM, the blockades at the Israel-Egypt land border and the delayed transmission of information to the company mean that, in the most optimistic scenario, the groups of Romanians will arrive at Cairo airport around 06:00. Baggage acceptance and processing formalities would exceed the minimum interval required for an on-time take-off, estimated at over an hour.
“Under these conditions, the risk of exceeding the duty time of the crews, with the potential of blocking the aircraft in Egypt and the impact of TAROM flights on the current destinations (crews and aircraft unavailable for the flights operated under the current regime) is imminent”, specify TAROM representatives.
To avoid pressure on passengers and possible blockages or incidents, the repatriation has been postponed and the pick-up of the groups will take place tomorrow evening from Cairo under operational safety conditions.
Flight rescheduling is carried out in coordination with the Romanian and Egyptian authorities, the Romanian Consulate in Cairo and group organizers.
TAROM emphasizes that it will carry out the flights as soon as all the operational conditions are met and thanks the passengers for their understanding and cooperation in this situation generated by factors external to air transport.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Țărnea, stated that the first group of Romanian citizens is in the process of leaving Israel, going to Egypt, where it will be taken over by a consular team sent by the Romanian Embassy.
“The first group of Romanian citizens in one of these areas is in the process of leaving a state in the direct conflict zone, it's Israel, and they will go to Egypt, where they will be taken over by a consular team. It's about 300 people. It's a start and it's at this stage, probably the best news we can give tonight. We'll come back as soon as we have confirmation about the exits of Romanian citizens from the immediate area of conflict, that we are not yet at the stage where those citizens are in the country”, Șarnea explained.
The situation of Romanian citizens in the Middle East is continuously monitored. There are 624 Romanians in Israel, of which approximately 30 are minors, and there are 159 in Qatar, including 19 children. There are 25 people in Saudi Arabia, many families with children, and in Ramallah there are 46 Romanian citizens.
There are several Romanian citizens in Kuwait, Iran and Oman, and in Jordan the number reaches 99. In the United Arab Emirates the situation is more complicated, with several hundred people under surveillance. No repatriation requests were registered in Syria, and in Lebanon there were only information requests, no repatriation requests. In Iraq, a Romanian citizen had his flight cancelled.
