Uzbekistan Repatriates Thousands of Citizens Amid Middle East Airspace Closures

In response to the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East, thousands of Uzbek citizens are being repatriated to their homeland. The closure of airspace in countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Israel, Jordan, the UAE, and Lebanon has led to the cancellation of flights from Uzbekistan to destinations such as Dubai, Sharjah, Medina, Doha, Jeddah, Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Kuwait since February 28th.

Between February 28th and March 2nd alone, 1,681 Uzbek nationals were unable to depart from Kuwait, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE due to these disruptions.

Acting on instructions from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's office, the Ministry of Transport has collaborated with resident and foreign airlines to develop specific plans for returning citizens. A 24-hour operational headquarters has been established at the "Uzaviation" agency to coordinate these efforts.

Given the airspace closures and evolving situation—and following negotiations with foreign aviation authorities—mandatory requirements have been set for all airlines involved in repatriation flights.

Airlines are currently operating flights for passengers who had originally departed before February 28th. Resident carriers have organized 21 flights from Medina and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. These operations have successfully brought home 4,948 passengers. An additional 235 citizens have been repatriated from Dubai.

The Ministry of Transport and "Uzaviation" strongly advise citizens to obtain information exclusively through official airline representatives and their websites to avoid financial or logistical risks.

A dedicated call center is operating around the clock to assist passengers. The contact numbers are +998 (78) 120-00-72 and +998 (71) 200-07-65.