Dar es Salaam – Air Tanzania has successfully repatriated approximately 236 Tanzanian nationals who were stranded in Dubai following the suspension of commercial flights across the Middle East, triggered by the ongoing military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The national carrier, known by its acronym ATCL, dispatched a special evacuation flight from Dar es Salaam to Dubai on March 6, 2026, returning home on Sunday with all passengers aboard.
ATCL’s Chief Operations Officer, Captain Arif Jinnah, confirmed that all passengers scheduled to return had arrived safely, though some were required to leave a portion of their luggage behind in order to meet the operational requirements of the emergency flight.
The airline acknowledged that deploying a large aircraft on the Dubai route was an unusual step — one it does not ordinarily take — but said the scale of citizen need made the decision unavoidable.
ATCL further indicated it may dispatch additional flights in the coming days should demand from remaining Tanzanian nationals in the region persist.
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The crisis was set in motion on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched joint airstrikes against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior members of the Iranian leadership.
Iran responded with a barrage of more than a thousand missiles and drones targeting Israel and US military installations across the Gulf. The strikes triggered widespread airspace closures, forcing major carriers to suspend or cancel flights to and from key regional hubs, including Dubai, Tel Aviv, and Doha.
Air Tanzania announced the suspension of its Middle East routes shortly after the hostilities began.
The Tanzanian government’s response extended beyond the evacuation flight. On March 3, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a public security advisory urging Tanzanian nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman to avoid non-essential travel, remain at their residences, and register with their nearest Tanzanian embassy.
Citizens were also directed to safeguard their passports and identity documents and to use only official communication channels for information. The advisory cautioned that consular assistance may be limited depending on the prevailing security conditions in each location.
Nationals were urged to register online at the government’s diaspora portal to enable closer monitoring by authorities.
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Tanzania’s response reflects a broader pattern of governments across Africa and beyond scrambling to protect their citizens caught in the crossfire. The United States has urged nationals to “depart now” from 14 Middle Eastern countries and is facilitating free charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, with 9,000 Americans already returned home.
The United Kingdom updated travel advice for 21 countries and announced repatriation flights, with an estimated 300,000 British nationals believed to be in the region. France said it was prepared to fly back citizens at greatest risk using both commercial and military aircraft, with approximately 400,000 French nationals thought to be in the Middle East.
Several African nations have also moved into action. Uganda airlifted 48 students via Turkey, whilst Sudan announced the immediate evacuation of its citizens. Nigeria finalised emergency evacuation plans, and Ghana suspended non-essential travel and closed its Tehran embassy. Kenya issued a security advisory urging extreme caution, whilst South Africa urged its nationals to contact embassies immediately.
The situation is particularly precarious for Tanzania’s diaspora in the Gulf, which includes thousands of domestic workers employed under the kafala sponsorship system — an arrangement that ties workers’ legal status to their employers and leaves them with limited freedom of movement in times of crisis.
The Dubai Airport Authority has been operating under severe restrictions, granting airlines only 30-minute windows to board and depart, with priority given to those who had already been contacted and confirmed by their respective carriers.
ATCL has advised passengers still in the region to contact the airline’s offices in both Dar es Salaam and Dubai for guidance and confirmation ahead of any further evacuation operations.
