The repatriation effort included around 5,000 guests
from the cruise ships Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, nearly 1,000 package
holiday guests from TUI Germany, and approximately 4,000 customers
from other European source markets. In addition, around 1,500 crew members from
the two ships were also brought back.
The majority of guests were repatriated through twelve TUI-operated flights and
more than 26 charter flights organized by the group. Additional support was
provided through third-party bookings, including the resumption of Emirates
flights. TUI’s crisis management team secured access to Al Ain Airport in the
United Arab Emirates, located approximately three hours from Dubai, enabling
coordinated evacuation operations.
Among those affected were approximately 5,000 passengers aboard Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, which had been stranded in Dubai and Doha respectively. Around 1,000 package holiday guests from TUI Germany, including travelers returning from Asian destinations whose connecting flights had been canceled, were also repatriated.
In parallel with customer repatriation, TUI arranged
the return of approximately 1,500 crew members from the two cruise ships. A
limited number of crew remain on board to manage essential operations until it
becomes possible to safely navigate the ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Colleagues from TUI Musement in the Middle East are also
being brought home.
The group also made available any remaining seats on
repatriation flights to other travel companies and government authorities to
support broader evacuation efforts.
Earlier in the operation, an additional 600 package
holiday guests were returned to Europe on special flights. Around 300 travelers
were flown from the Maldives to Manchester on a TUI Airline Boeing 787-9,
including British and German guests affected by canceled connecting flights in
the Gulf region. A further 300 guests returned on two Boeing 737-8 aircraft
from Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, with a stopover in Heraklion, arriving
in Manchester and Hanover.
Additional flights also landed in Germany, including
three special services that returned more than 550 package holiday guests to
Frankfurt and Hanover. These included flights from the United Arab Emirates and
a service carrying approximately 300 travelers from the Maldives.
The return journey for guests on Mein Schiff 5, located in Doha, began on
Sunday evening, while guests from Mein Schiff 4 had already been repatriated
through charter operations, including flights operated in cooperation with
Emirates.
It remains unclear when Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff
5 will be able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The overall impact of the
crisis on business performance has not yet been fully assessed, as the duration
of the conflict remains uncertain. Current booking trends indicate reduced
demand for eastern destinations, while increased demand has been recorded for
Mallorca, the Canary Islands, Rhodes, and Crete, prompting TUI to add
additional flight capacity to these markets.
Tags:TUI Group
