A Royal Australian Air Force plane flew to Islamabad, Pakistan, to rescue 92 Afghans. They are Australian visa holders who will complete their quarantine in Darwin before resettling in the country.
The Department of Defence confirmed that RAAF C-130J Hercules picked up 92 Afghans from Islamabad at around 17:00 local time on September 7, 2021. They were then flown to Australia’s military base in Dubai.
From there, they boarded a Qantas 787 Dreamliner which flew to Darwin, where they are now on a 14-day quarantine period.
The Department of Defence confirms the arrival of Afghan evacuees from the Middle East to Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in an interview in Canberra that the evacuation, including 32 flights out of Kabul, was one of the “finest moments” of Australia’s military and diplomatic history.
Government sources told The Sydney Morning Herald that the Qantas flight out of Dubai was the last scheduled evacuation out of the Australian military base, but if needed, they could send more flights to Pakistan.
