Emirates will commence daily flights from Dubai to Prague starting Thursday, March 5, 2026, according to an announcement by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The modern route aims to facilitate the return of Czech citizens currently in the United Arab Emirates, as regional tensions escalate.
Babiš stated that the flights, departing Dubai at 8:40 a.m. Local time each day, will be able to transport up to 615 Czech nationals daily. He made the announcement following discussions with an Emirates vice president.
“The organization is being handled by our consulate on site, which is placing citizens registered in the DROZD system and on the repatriation list onto the flights,” Babiš said on social media X. “Please do not go to the airport unless you have a confirmed seat on a flight.”
The development comes after Babiš on Wednesday urged airlines, including Ryanair and Emirates, to send aircraft to the region to bring Czech tourists home. He also requested additional flight slots, a request complicated by the current situation and the large number of people unexpectedly stranded in the region. Airspace closures were implemented in connection with the start of military operations by the U.S. And Israel against Iran.
The situation remains volatile. A Smartwings flight repatriating Czech tourists from Amman, Jordan, returned to Prague on Wednesday shortly after takeoff due to issues with a group of tourists stranded at the Israel-Jordan border.
“Due to security reasons, the aircraft can only remain in Amman for two hours, a change to the flight plan was necessary, and the flight will depart tomorrow,” said Vladimíra Dufková, a Smartwings spokesperson.
Travel agencies Fischer and Exim Tours are scheduled to bring 400 clients back from the UAE on Wednesday. Most will travel on two special repatriation flights dispatched to Muscat, Oman, where they will be transported from Dubai by bus. One hundred clients are returning on scheduled flights from Dubai. Another Smartwings repatriation flight is planned to depart from Muscat on Thursday.
According to Babiš, the government is also addressing the situation for Czech citizens in other destinations. Government-organized flights, the prime minister stated on Monday, are primarily intended for citizens who traveled without tour operators. Approximately 5,800 Czech citizens are currently registered in the DROZD system as being in the Middle East.
