TORONTO — More Canadians leaving the Middle East are expected to arrive in Toronto’s Pearson Airport this morning as the war in Iran reaches the one-week mark.
Passengers arriving from Dubai left on an Emirates flight that the government booked 51 seats on to secure travel for Canadians out of the region.
The Emirates flight departed hours before Dubai Airports said it temporarily suspended operations at the major Middle East travel hub due to safety concerns as some media outlets reported an explosion nearby.
The federal government says it has reserved hundreds of seats for Canadians on flights leaving the Middle East as the Iran war — launched last Saturday when the U.S. and Israel fired airstrikes into the country — spills over into nearby Gulf Arab states.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has said more than 108,000 Canadians in the region have registered with Global Affairs Canada, and about 3,500 of them have asked for help to leave.
Canadians who arrived in Toronto yesterday from Dubai described a long and anxious process to find their way home.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.
Kathryn Mannie, The Canadian Press
