Military aircraft C-130 HERCULES, having 65 Romanian and foreign citizens onboard, took off from Tripoli Airport in Libya on Saturday night, February 26, heading for Romania. A stopover would be made in La Valletta, Malta to refuel.

C-130 HERCULES would land on the Henri Coanda International Airport on Sunday morning, after 14.00 hrs.

The other military aircraft, C-27 J SPARTAN, landed for its second mission in Malta at 18.10 hrs. on Saturday. It would be on standby there ready to take off in case of emergency and in accordance with the number of flights established by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Minister of National Defence, Gabriel Oprea, ordered the crisis cell organized by the defence ministry to take any steps necessary to evacuate Romanian citizens who request it through the responsible authorities.

The mission Romanian Air Force conducts these days is the first if this kind since WW2. Following the activation of the EU monitoring and information mechanism for civil protection with a view to assisting European citizens in Libya, in the spirit of cooperation and solidarity with EU states, the Minister of National Defence Gabriel Oprea, approved that Romanian military aircraft allow foreign citizens onboard along Romanian ones. Following the activation of the EU monitoring and information mechanism for civil protection with a view to assisting European citizens in Libya, in the spirit of cooperation and solidarity with EU states, the Minister of National Defence Gabriel Oprea, approved that Romanian military aircraft allow foreign citizens onboard along Romanian ones.

The Ministry of National Defence will keep public opinion informed on the flights made by the military aircraft conducting this mission.

The Romanian Government adopted on Wednesday, February 23, a decision on the special measures to be taken following the crisis situation and humanitarian crisis underway in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. The Executive approved that 900,000 lei of the Government Reserve Budget be allotted to cover the transportation and consular services expenses made for the evacuation of the people affected by the crisis situation in Libya.

MoND Press Office