Minister Anand seeks potential access to Oman’s airspace, secures limited seats on flights from Lebanon

This story was updated on Wednesday, March 4 at 11:45 a.m. EST

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she has requested access to Oman’s airspace, “if necessary,” to help evacuate Canadian citizens from the Middle East.

Speaking to the Toronto Board of Trade, Anand made her remarks as the U.S. State Department announced it is arranging military and charter flights for Americans wishing to leave the Middle East, following similar steps by other countries.

As reported by the Canadian Press, Anand’s office said she is encouraging Canadians in the region to depart using commercial options while they remain available, adding that Ottawa is not currently organizing government-led evacuations.

She emphasized that Canada’s primary concern amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran is the safety of its citizens in the region, noting that Oman still had “viable” airspace as of this morning.

Anand also said she spoke today with her Omani counterpart to request permission for Canada to access Oman’s airspace.

According to Global Affairs Canada, more than 97,000 Canadians have registered their presence in the Middle East.

Anand added that she has been in contact with several foreign ministers from the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East to ensure support options are available to Canadians in those countries, CP reports.

The next day (March 4), Minister Anand said the federal government has secured “a limited number of seats” on commercial flights out of Lebanon for Canadians trying to flee the region.

According to the Canadian Press, Anand said more than 103,000 people have registered with Global Affairs Canada in the Middle East and Gulf region.

Airports operate limited flights

Following more than 48 hours of a complete shutdown, Dubai Airports has announced that a limited number of flights will resume operations.

Shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday (March 2), the authority overseeing both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) confirmed that a “small number of flights” would be allowed to operate.

Operations at both airports were suspended on February 28, after the United Arab Emirates closed its airspace in response to attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

The strikes triggered retaliatory action across the Gulf region, including in the UAE, prompting the temporary halt to all flights.

The shutdowns left thousands of travellers stuck in Dubai, with officials scrambling to secure temporary accommodation for transit passengers and those scheduled to depart.

As services gradually restart, passengers are being urged not to head to either DXB or DWC unless their airline has contacted them directly with a confirmed departure time.

Abu Dhabi Airports also announced a resumption of partial operations at AUH as of Monday, in coordination with relevant authorities and airlines.

Israel is considering a gradual reopening of its airspace earlier than the start of next week, depending on security developments, local reports say.

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated the conflict with Iran could last weeks and said wars can be fought “forever” with America's stock of ammunition, reports NBC News.

The death toll in Iran is now nearly 800, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.

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