Mexico City, Mexico — Early Thursday, 138 people boarded Mexico’s Air Force flight that saw them returned to the country. The plane landed at 1:00 a.m. Friday Mexico City time, ending the week-long ordeal.
The rescue flight was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE). The plane left Mexico last weekend, bound for Romania, where it waited for Mexican nationals and their families to arrive.
The Foreign Ministry reported that on board the flight were Mexican citizens, direct relatives of other nationalities, particularly from Ukraine, as well as citizens of Ecuador and Peru, “who will have the support of the Government of Mexico as a symbol of solidarity between our peoples.”
The Mexican ambassadors in Ukraine, Olga García Guillén, and in Romania, Guillermo Ordorica, were also on the plane just before takeoff to say goodbye to the people being repatriated.
The total flight duration was around 20 hours which included three fuel stops before finally landing in Mexico City.
The Mexican government reported that, if necessary, it will carry out more flights to facilitate the return of nationals who left Ukraine after the Russian invasion, which began on February 23.
