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. However, some were required to leave a portion of their luggage behind 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 that it may dispatch additional flights in the coming days if demand from remaining Tanzanian nationals in the region persists.
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.