German Foreign Minister “Optimistic” About Repatriation of Stranded Tourists
Berlin, March 3 – German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has expressed confidence that German tourists stranded in the Middle East will gradually be able to return home. Speaking on ZDF’s “heute journal,” Wadephul stated, “I am optimistic that this will succeed little by little.” He added that the government is in close contact with tour operators to facilitate the process.
The German Foreign Office is currently preparing to retrieve sick individuals, children, and pregnant women from the conflict region. Chartered planes are to be dispatched to the capitals of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Muscat (Oman). The ongoing conflict in Iran has left tens of thousands of travelers stranded who were either vacationing in the Middle East or intended to use one of the region’s airports as a hub. According to the German Travel Association (DRV), approximately 30,000 customers of German tour operators alone are affected.
Empty Lufthansa Plane Lands in Germany
On Monday evening, a Lufthansa aircraft from Abu Dhabi landed in Munich, but without passengers. According to the airline, passenger transport was not possible due to a lack of cabin crew. The machine reportedly only carried the two pilots. Lufthansa stated that a minimum of 17 cabin crew members would have been required for safety reasons. However, these were not available in Abu Dhabi and could not be flown in due to war-related restrictions. Furthermore, accessibility to Abu Dhabi airport for many passengers, as well as check-in, security control, and boarding, could not be guaranteed there.
Government Criticized for “Unprepared” Response
Politicians from the Left and Green parties have criticized the German government’s handling of the situation. “To announce three days after the outbreak of the war that individual vulnerable groups of people are to be evacuated from the region is not enough,” said Green foreign policy expert Luise Amtsberg to the “Funke” media group newspapers. “What we are currently experiencing in the Middle East is an escalation that has been looming as a possible scenario for weeks. The fact that the German government is still unprepared and seems overwhelmed in this now acute danger situation is shocking.” Criticism also came from Cansu Özdemir, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left party. She stated that the German government’s crisis communication was inadequate and that the current announcement to only evacuate particularly vulnerable groups for the time being was causing uncertainty.
Wadephul had previously stated that providing planes for particularly vulnerable groups was a secondary option. “First and foremost, of course, the travel companies must step in here. And in third place, if all that should not be enough, then we would, if necessary, resort to the Bundeswehr (German armed forces).”
Travel Association Advises Tourists to Remain in Hotels
The German Travel Association advises tourists to follow the instructions of local authorities, stay in their booked hotels, and not travel independently to airports or neighboring countries. Once the airspace reopens, tour operators intend to provide information on return travel options.
Police Warn Against Fraudulent Flight Rebookings
Meanwhile, the police are warning against fake hotlines for alleged flight rebookings, after a woman from Lower Bavaria was defrauded of 2,500 euros. Consumers should only research hotlines via the official website of the booking portal or the airline – and not via partially purchased advertisements on search engines, recommends the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office. In messages about flight cancellations, travelers should never respond to callback numbers or unfamiliar support links that they have not checked. Instead, booking changes should only be made via one’s own customer account. If an alleged service employee on the phone requests remote access to a smartphone or computer, the advice is: hang up, disconnect the internet connection, and contact the bank.
Source: dpa-infocom, dpa:260303-930-759957/1
