SINGAPORE, March 10 — A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft departed Changi Airbase on Tuesday for Riyadh, for the evacuation of Singaporeans in Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said the Singapore government deployed the MRTT to bring its citizens home due to a lack of feasible commercial options.
“This is an important mission and we will do our utmost to ensure everyone returns safely. I am grateful for the commitment and courage of our men and women of the RSAF who volunteered for this mission, knowing that the region is still facing attacks,” he said in a Facebook post today.
On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that the republic was arranging a third evacuation flight from Riyadh on March 10 and a fourth on March 12 for its citizens in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The deployment of the aircraft serves only to support assisted departure operations. — Bernama
