Hundreds of Swedish travelers have returned home after being stranded when airspace was closed in the Middle East, according to reports from Swedish media. The airspace closures, reportedly related to regional tensions, left many Swedes stuck in the United Arab Emirates and Southeast Asia.
Martina Krantz of airline Apollo expressed relief, stating they had successfully brought home all their passengers from the United Arab Emirates where there had been unrest. On Monday morning, a plane specially chartered by airline Ving landed in Copenhagen carrying 315 Nordic passengers, including 150 Swedes.
they had successfully brought home all their passengers from the United Arab Emirates where there had been unrest
Claes Pellvik, communications chief at Ving, said this meant they had brought home essentially all their guests from Southeast Asia. The stranded travelers included people who had been stuck in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives when their return flights were canceled due to the flight stoppage in the Middle East.
Airlines continue to work on repatriating remaining passengers, with Apollo reporting they have brought home 140 Swedes from the United Arab Emirates and now have none left in the country. Ving still has a small number of travelers remaining in the Middle East, including seven in Dubai and five in Doha.
this meant they had brought home essentially all their guests from Southeast Asia