The federal government is preparing to send planes to the Middle East to bring home stranded German tourists. The machines will be sent to Muscat in Oman and the Saudi capital Riyadh, said Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin.
The airspace there is still open, but safety comes first when deploying. He spoke to Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr and the airline basically has capacity.
According to a spokesman, the Foreign Office is assuming a mid-five-digit number of German citizens affected. The number of around 30,000 people given by the travel industry is “a reasonably reliable figure”.
The Federal Foreign Office and the German missions abroad in the region provided information about new developments on their websites and social media channels as well as through so-called “compatriot letters”. To do this, those affected should register with the Federal Foreign Office’s ELEFAND crisis preparedness list. Where the attacks occurred, the motto should be to stay in a safe place or near a shelter, the spokesman said.