SINGAPORE, March 13 — A second evacuation flight mounted by Singapore’s Air Force has landed safely, bringing home dozens of citizens stranded in the Middle East as tensions in the region continue to disrupt travel.
According to Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (Mindef), the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft arrived in Singapore at 5.59am after flying out of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
On board were 81 Singaporeans and their dependants, part of a wider effort by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to repatriate citizens caught up in the regional crisis.
Mindef said that after accommodating Singaporeans who had registered for the flight, spare seats were offered to nationals from several other countries, including Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
“This is in the spirit of solidarity, just as how other countries have assisted Singaporeans in returning home in past crises,” the ministry said in a statement via Facebook.
The latest arrival marks the second evacuation flight conducted by the RSAF, with the SAF successfully helping 299 Singaporeans and their dependants return from the Middle East so far.
Singapore had earlier mounted two repatriation flights from Muscat, Oman, aimed at assisting Singaporeans who were in Oman and the United Arab Emirates when airspace disruptions affected travel across the region.
Authorities also arranged a separate flight to Oman for foreign visitors impacted by the disruption.
The evacuation effort forms part of a broader international push to move civilians out of the region as airlines cancel or reroute flights amid the ongoing conflict.
