Equinor, the Norwegian energy company, offered the Norwegian Foreign Ministry 100 empty seats on a flight evacuating personnel from the Middle East on March 4, but the ministry declined the offer. The incident highlights the challenges governments face in assisting citizens during rapidly escalating international crises.
The flight departed from Muscat, Oman, carrying 69 passengers – Equinor employees and their families – on the evening of March 4. The Foreign Ministry explained that it lacked the infrastructure to effectively organize the evacuation of Norwegian citizens from the Gulf region following attacks by the U.S. And Israel on Iran.
According to a statement provided to VG, the ministry stated the offer “came with extremely short notice and a very short deadline.” “It was not practically possible to organize this in a safe and effective manner,” the ministry added after the flight landed in Oslo.
Ministry Cites Lack of Capacity
Internal communications between the Foreign Ministry and Equinor, obtained by VG, reveal a more nuanced explanation for the refusal. The ministry initially indicated it had not yet authorized assisted evacuations and therefore lacked the necessary systems to manage the transport of additional passengers.
Equinor had initially offered the seats after receiving approval to fly a crisis team from Europe to the Middle East. The company chartered a Boeing 737 with 148 seats, a plane previously used by both Equinor and the Norwegian defense forces. The offer included the possibility of including personnel on the flight from Prague to Muscat.
Equinor confirmed it was “positive” to the request, stating, “We have chartered a Boeing 737 with 148 seats from the same company we and the defense forces have used previously. The flight departs from Prague tomorrow, March 4, at 11:00… Returen from Muscat to Oslo goes same day at 22:00. Totally we have 42 employees on the travel, in addition to a corresponding number of Equinor employees who are in the country as tourists. This gives us some free capacity, but we need an overview and control over who is joining. We are working on a solution for personnel transport, and there are arrangements for extra security measures. Our threat and risk assessments have been recently updated, and we have previously trained and prepared for this type of operation – it is therefore a known procedure for us. The operational plan is still under work.”
Further Offers Declined
On March 4, Equinor informed the ministry that the flight could accommodate approximately 100 additional passengers. The company too offered to assist with prioritizing passengers and verifying documentation. The ministry again declined.
Later that day, Equinor asked if the Foreign Ministry knew of other companies or organizations in Muscat that might need seats on the flight, offering to coordinate directly with them. The ministry responded that it was not aware of any other organizations needing assistance.
Ministry Maintains No Capacity
The flight ultimately departed Muscat on March 4 with 69 passengers, landing at Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport the following morning, leaving 100 seats empty.
In a statement to VG, Under-Director Helene Sandbu Ryeng of the Foreign Ministry reiterated that the ministry lacked the infrastructure to manage a larger evacuation. “When the offer from Equinor came, we did not have a setup on the ground that would allow us to reach people in Dubai, organize bus transport to Muscat (estimated at ten hours under the circumstances), take responsibility for assessing their safety during land transport, carry out document control and other practical tasks associated with such assistance,” she said.
Ryeng added that Equinor had made it clear it did not want to take on any coordinating role, requesting that the ministry handle passenger prioritization and document verification. The incident underscores the logistical complexities governments face when responding to crises abroad and assisting citizens in need of evacuation.
