October 5th 2024.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the first of two charter flights carrying Australian citizens landed safely in Cyprus after departing from Beirut, Lebanon. A total of 229 Australians were on board the flight, which was organized as a mercy mission to bring them out of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Upon arrival at Larnaca Airport, the passengers were quickly processed and welcomed onto Cypriot soil.
The passengers on the flight were a diverse group, representing a range of ages from the elderly to young infants. As they stepped off the plane, a mix of emotions could be seen on their faces - relief at being out of harm's way, but also a sense of guilt for leaving loved ones behind in a place that has become so dangerous.
One passenger, Lodi Khalan, expressed his gratitude for being able to leave Lebanon and return to Australia with his family. "It's good that we get out," he told 9News, "it's better for the kids as well." When asked about the current situation in Lebanon, Khalan could only describe it as "terrible" and said there was nothing positive to report.
According to reports, there are over 3000 Australians registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to leave Lebanon. Earlier in the week, 41 Australians were able to evacuate with the help of Canadian-assisted flights. The second charter flight is expected to land in Cyprus on Saturday, bringing the total number of Australian evacuees to nearly 500. DFAT has announced that two more evacuation flights are planned for Sunday.
For these passengers, their journey is far from over. They will spend the next few nights in Cyprus, a fellow Commonwealth country, before being flown back to Sydney on Qantas planes arranged by the Australian government. It is a bittersweet experience for them, not knowing what kind of Lebanon they will be returning to. But for now, they can take comfort in the fact that they have been brought to safety and can begin the process of rebuilding their lives.
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