SINGAPORE: Amid ongoing flight disruptions in the Middle East, some Singaporean travellers have turned to online forums to share information and advice on how fellow locals might be able to make their way home.
In a discussion thread on Reddit’s r/singapore forum, more than 100 users gathered to exchange updates, travel tips, and personal experiences.
One individual mentioned that Muscat International Airport in Oman remains open and that Oman Air is still operating flights to cities such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi and Mumbai. “Singaporeans reading this can plan their itinerary and transit in (the) mentioned cities before coming to Singapore safely,” they said.
“If going out is not safe, please stay indoors till the situation eases. Listen to local authorities and embassies’ advice/publications before taking action.”
Another user shared information about entry requirements for Oman.
They said, “Singaporeans don’t need a visa to go to Oman if you stay up to 14 days, as long as you have booked return flights back to SG and a hotel stay if you’re staying at least one night. I did that and printed it out, but in the end, at the customs, they just took a look at my passport and stamped it immediately without asking for any documents!”
A third added, “Emirates and Etihad both have limited repatriation flights back to Singapore. UAE currently has a limit of 48 flights per hour if anyone’s wondering.”
Some users also posted updates about their own journeys. One wrote, “Hello, my colleague and I just touched down KL via Oman Air. We’re gonna get a ticket back to SG.”
Another shared, “I was on holiday in Beirut when this happened. Thankfully, there were flights out of Beirut, and I am slowly making my way home. It’s been a crazy experience, leaving Beirut just 12 hours before the city was struck with air strikes.”
Others, meanwhile, left messages of encouragement for those still stranded in the region.
One said, “Stay safe and come back safely as well to my fellow Singaporeans.”
Another commented, “Hopefully everyone stuck there can get home safe.”
Which airlines are gradually resuming
Air travel across the Middle East collapsed into chaos after war broke out between US-Israel and Iran.
Airlines in the UAE and other Gulf States suspended and rerouted their flights, leaving thousands of travellers stranded across the region. A live flight tracker even showed that this created a gap in the global airspace.
There are now early signs of recovery. Condé Nast Traveller reported that some flights have begun to resume through controlled aviation corridors in certain parts of the Middle East.
The report said the UAE’s major airlines, Emirates and Etihad, have restarted operations on limited schedules, with additional routes expected to be restored in the coming days.
Alongside a small number of repatriation and cargo flights that have continued to operate, Emirates has introduced a restricted schedule, with bookings currently available to 75 destinations.
Etihad Airways has also resumed services on a limited schedule to 70 destinations, which will remain in place until March 19.
Other airlines reported to be operating limited services include Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Flydubai, Air Arabia, Air India, and SalamAir.
As for British Airways, they stated on their website: “Following disruption due to events in the Middle East, we’ve added additional flights between London and Singapore and Bangkok next week to further support our customers.”
“Customers can book onto these flights on ba.com or by contacting the airline they were originally booked to travel with.”
Oman Air also posted an update via their social media account on March 8, stating: “Oman Air is committed to supporting travellers during this period and over the past week we have operated almost 80 extra flights and helped more than 97,000 passengers get home.”
“While a limited number of regional routes have been temporarily impacted due to airspace closures, the vast majority of our international network, spanning Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa, is operating as planned, and we continue to add extra frequencies where operationally possible. Additional bus support services have also been made available for those crossing the land border from the UAE to Oman to catch onward flights.”
Stranded Singaporeans begin returning from the Middle East
On March 5, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong confirmed that repatriation flights are being arranged to bring Singaporeans home from the Middle East.
In a Facebook post, he wrote, “I have received messages from Singaporeans overseas who are concerned about returning home amid the situation in the Middle East. The safety and well-being of Singaporeans remain our top priority. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our overseas missions are working around the clock to assist those affected.”
He added, “We are arranging a repatriation flight from Oman on 7 March for Singaporeans in the region who have registered for assistance. We are working to mount a second flight after that. In the coming days, we are also organising assisted overland departures from Bahrain and Qatar to Riyadh, where the airport remains open and commercial flights are available. We will continue doing everything we can to help Singaporeans in the region who wish to return home come back safely.”
On March 7, 152 Singaporeans and their dependents were safely flown home from Muscat on a repatriation flight, The Straits Times reported.
Read related: Singaporeans will be back to their home country! Repatriation flights from Muscat will bring locals home from the Middle East
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