PRESS RELEASE ON 7 APRIL, 2020

On Tuesday, 7 April, through coordination between the UAE and Finnish governments, a chartered Finnair plane flew out Nordic and Baltic passengers from Dubai to the northern capitals Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden. The flight was supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and made available also to citizens of other Nordic countries and European Union Member States.

The group consisted of 223 citizens and residents of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and other EU countries. The passengers were primarily tourists to the UAE who had been unable to return to their home countries after the closure of UAE airports to international traffic on 24 March.

Marianne Nissilä, Ambassador of Finland to the UAE, said: “As a result of the tireless efforts of the Nordic Ministries and Embassies here in the UAE, as well as the good cooperation with the UAE authorities, I am delighted that these passengers are now heading to their homes during these exceptional times.”

Henrik Landerholm, Ambassador of Sweden to the UAE, said: “In times of extraordinary challenges, solidarity is more important than ever. Together with our Nordic friends, we are grateful to the UAE for assisting us with this flight, helping our citizens return home to their beloved. ”

Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Ambassador of Denmark to the UAE added: “I am happy that my countrymen were able to use this opportunity to return to Denmark. Today’s flight highlights the strength of Nordic and EU cooperation for all our citizens.”