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THERE WERE EMOTIONAL scenes at Dublin Airport last night as Irish people stuck in Dubai arrived home on the first commercial flight from Dubai to Ireland since the war in Iran began on Saturday.
Thousands of Irish people are stranded in Dubai and across the Middle East due to the widespread cancellation of flights associated with the ongoing conflict.
Last night’s nine hour Emirates flight carrying almost 400 people touched down just before 11pm Irish time after experiencing delays.
The Journal spoke with those arriving from Dubai, as well as their worried loved ones waiting at the airport.
Many of the passengers were transiting through Ireland before reaching their final destinations, while the majority of the Irish on board became stuck in Dubai while visiting or while on stopovers from Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia.
Patricia, from Co Donegal said she “hasn’t slept” since her daughter Anna got stuck in Dubai while on a stopover.
Susan, who was waiting for her husband John, said the waiting has been awful. “[John] was just transiting through Dubai but he landed into chaos,” she said.
Limerick woman Elaine was eager to see her sister Norita, who she was waiting to surprise with flowers and a balloon.
Norita said arriving home after getting stuck on a stopover from New Zealand has made her feel like “Dublin is the most beautiful city in the world”.
Theresa, from Co Galway, said getting the flight home was a “huge relief”.
She became stuck in Dubai after a trip to visit her daughter. The airport closed down just an hour before her flight home on Saturday.
“We rebooked for Monday, that was cancelled. We rebooked for this Friday but this morning we got a phone call at the hotel that there was a possibility of a flight this evening as the one on Friday has now been cancelled as well,” she said.
“We were very well looked after, but it’s nice to be home.”
Theresa, from Co Galway, arrived in Dublin Airport tonight after being stuck in Dubai since Saturday.
— Sophie Finn (@SophieFinn25) March 5, 2026
"We were very well looked after, but it's nice to be home." pic.twitter.com/cmh4GLYx6R
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said airlines were prioritising people stuck in transit, particularly the medically vulnerable, for evacuation.
Several families with young children disembarked last night’s flight, as well as older people and those with physical disabilities.
Tim was greeted by his two young children and partner, who were waiting with welcome home signs.
Tim said that returning to normality was a relief after a “surreal” few days.
He said the situation in Dubai was “really tense up until the last minute” before leaving, as many flights had previously been cancelled.
Alex, a French-American based in Germany, said it was a huge relief to land on Irish soil after experiencing several flight cancellations.
“This morning I just went directly to the airport and thankfully there was a flight going to Dublin, so thanks for having me,” he said.
Galway man Sean, who was also travelling on the flight, said he was surprised at how few people on board the flight were due to depart in Ireland as their final destination.
“There weren’t a whole lot of people whose final destination was Dublin, probably like 15%,” he said.
He said he heard many missiles flying overhead while in Dubai but said “you kind of just get used to it”.
McEntee announced that as well as last night’s flight, another flight carrying 400 people is due to arrive in Dublin today.
The government has also said it will charter a separate flight from the Middle East in the coming days to bring Irish people home.
The charter flight will have capacity to carry over 300 people, and will be targeted at Irish people currently in the United Arab Emirates, particularly those who are non-resident and who are vulnerable and require assistance most urgently.
It will depart from Oman in the coming days, as long as airspace is open. People will be driven to Oman by bus to get the flight. McEntee confirmed free buses to Oman’s capital Muscat will be provided, but the flight will cost adults around €800 each, while children can travel for free.
“If there are people in significant difficulty, we will support them. We will make sure that they can get on the flight if they need to get home, and we can work with them beyond that,” she added.
They’re home!
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) March 4, 2026
The first flight from Dubai in almost 5 days - @emirates EK163 - arrived into Dublin Airport just before 11pm, bringing more than 368 passengers back to Ireland. pic.twitter.com/lMIKtwMtSx
“We have signed an agreement and a contract for a government chartered flight that will take off later on in the week.
“Our embassies on the ground and here in Dublin are currently contacting those who we feel are most vulnerable, but the intention is that this would be the first of many if they are needed.
“I am hopeful that if this can continue at this rate, we should be able to get those who want to get home as quickly as possible.”
McEntee said the fastest way for Irish citizens to return to Ireland is by travelling via commercial flights.
There are around 23,000 Irish citizens in the region, including around 12,000 in the UAE alone.
Around 2,000 people have contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs’ crisis management office since Saturday.
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