Key Points
- Qantas will operate two free flights from Cyprus to Sydney to help Australians stranded in Lebanon.
- Two charter flights will depart from Beirut to Cyprus on Saturday.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong said more flights are being planned for the coming days.
Two mercy flights will help Australians stranded in Lebanon make their way home as tensions in the region escalate.
Qantas will operate two non-stop flights between Cyprus and Sydney next week on behalf of the Australian government, the airline has confirmed.
The federal government said two charter flights carrying up to 500 passengers will depart Beirut for Cyprus on Saturday.
Further flights are planned for subsequent days and will be subject to demand, Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s office said.
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.
