pl — Around 200 Polish tourists were turned back to their hotels in Salalah, Oman, just before transfer to the airport after drone attacks and related aviation restrictions, Paweł Buczkowski wrote. The carrier Enter Air canceled a scheduled return and an inbound aircraft diverted over Riyadh before reversing course. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a level-four travel warning and tour operator Itaka suspended flights through March 23, officials stated.
Key facts and timeline
Travelers who had been on holiday since February 22 were due to return on March 1; plans changed sharply when a flight from Warsaw for their group diverted. Before 07: 00 ET the inbound plane that was to collect them altered its route over Riyadh and did not land, leaving guests who were already boarding or on their way to the airport to be returned to hotels, a traveler named Pani Małgorzata said.
Authorities cited drone attacks on fuel storage at the port of Duqm and a separate strike at Salalah port. The security reporting service Safeture issued a notice that “authorities have suspended all permits for the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and a wide range of aviation activities due to safety concerns, ” the service stated. Salalah airport was ordered closed until 13: 30 ET local reopening time, the advisories said.
Enter Air canceled the outbound service, and Itaka initially extended client stays at its own cost and later suspended all flights to Oman through March 23. The US Embassy in Oman on March 1 urged US citizens to remain indoors until further notice. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned: “MSZ advises against all travel to Oman” and said a large-scale military operation in the region has left civilian airspace in many countries closed.
Pl: Reactions from travelers, operators and officials
Direct reactions came from affected passengers and company leadership. Pani Małgorzata, a tourist from the Lublin region, said, “For now we are taking extended holidays, nothing alarming is happening, ” and described the moment when transport was halted: “The bus had already come for us to the airport and we were turned back on the hotel steps. ” She later appealed to fellow Poles not to travel to Oman while conditions remain unstable.
Piotr Henicz, vice-president of Itaka Holdings, issued a company statement: “We inform that from today until 23. 03 inclusive ITAKA suspends flights to Oman. Planes bound for Oman will bring our clients back to Poland. ” The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs elevated its advisory to level four, explicitly advising against travel to Oman as long as the operation continues and airspace restrictions remain in place.
What’s next — immediate outlook
Authorities and operators said they will monitor security and aviation control updates closely. Travel companies have begun repatriation planning and confirmed that aircraft presently bound for Oman will carry clients home; further movements depend on airspace reopening and official clearances. The situation remains fluid and travelers and family members should expect updates from airlines and tour operators; officials will communicate changes to the pl group and the wider traveling public as new information becomes available.
