Key Points
- Qantas will operate two free flights from Cyprus to Sydney to help Australians stranded in Lebanon.
- One of two chartered flights from Beirut landed in Cyprus on Saturday.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong said more flights are being planned for the coming days.
The first of two flights carrying hundreds of Australians fleeing Lebanon has landed in Cyprus after the federal government warned them to leave the war-torn country immediately.
The chartered flight departed Beirut late on Saturday morning, local time (Saturday evening AEST), repatriating 229 Australians as tensions in the region escalate.
“Another flight is due to depart later today, and there are a further two flights planned for tomorrow,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted to X, formerly Twitter.
“Now is the time to leave. Please be prepared to go at short notice.”
On Saturday morning, the government said it had secured seats on flights out of Lebanon for Australians, permanent residents and their immediate families.
“Do not wait, leave immediately,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said. There will be access to accommodation in Cyprus as travellers await flights back to Australia.
Qantas will operate two non-stop flights between Cyprus and Sydney on behalf of the Australian government, the airline confirmed on Friday night.
The first 22-hour flight will depart on Monday evening local, arriving in Sydney on Tuesday, while the second will leave on Wednesday.
On Saturday, an alert from the government’s Smarttraveller platform read “there are still seats available on flights on 5 October for those registered on the DFAT Crisis Portal”.
Transport Minister Catherine King on Saturday reiterated the government’s message that Australians should not delay leaving Lebanon.
“Our message very clearly to people in Lebanon at the moment is do not wait to get the perfect flight home,” King said.
“If you are offered a flight, then you need to go. You need to leave now and take that first available opportunity.
“The situation on the ground is very serious and we can not guarantee we can get everybody out,” King said.
SBS understands there are 4,901 Australians in Lebanon registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with 3,088 registered as wanting to depart, and 1,813 registered for information only.
More than 700 have departed or self-closed their registration.
The first Qantas flight is scheduled to leave Cyprus on Monday night local time, arriving in Sydney on Tuesday.
The second flight is expected to leave Cyprus on Wednesday, with the time yet to be confirmed.
Operation of the charter flights is subject to the airport in Beirut remaining open and other operational constraints.
The flights will be free of charge for eligible Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members with a right of entry to Australia, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The government has said vulnerable people will be prioritised.
As violence escalates in the Middle East, Australian politicians are urging citizens in Lebanon to leave.
But evacuation flights have so far taken off with empty seats.
A plane that left Lebanon on Thursday with 80 seats allocated for Australians had 41 people take up the offer and though 500 seats are available on a flight leaving on Saturday, 238 Australians have registered so far.
Israel has intensified military action against Lebanon, bombing southern parts of the nation and its capital Beirut in attacks that have killed hundreds of people.
Israel has threatened retaliation against Iran for a missile attack.
