Ecuadorians waiting to board the plane that will bring them back from Hungary and Poland; pets will go on another flight

Counting the hours. This is how Ecuadorians are in Hungary and Poland, waiting for their names to appear on the list of those who will depart on the first humanitarian flight.

The departure is at 18:00 from Budapest, in Hungary, and then they make a stop at 21:00 in Warsaw, Poland, to collect more Ecuadorians. These data at the moment are known by the compatriots, who are mostly alone with a backpack.

José has already entered the Hungarian airport along with 45 other Ecuadorians who crossed that border and another 30 who were in Slovakia. He knows that he alone can carry one 25-kilogram suitcase and one 8-kilogram hand luggage.

He’s waiting to board the plane. He is very anxious to get to Quito and see his family.

Ecuadorians support each other and share routes that are somewhat cleared of military to flee from Ukraine

The same feeling is felt by another Ecuadorian, who preferred to reserve her name. She is already confirmed in the passenger list and in her hand she has a backpack.

She was with a group of colleagues, but she passed by and, for the time being, not the others. You have been informed that pets are not scheduled for this flight, but for the next. He says there is quite a bit of disorganization.

Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín referred to the issue and said that there 86 pets, including a ferret and a rabbit. “Due to IATA (International Air Transport Association) regulations, we can only bring eight pets. We have prioritized vulnerable groups, children, pregnant women,” she noted.

Holguín indicated that this has caused annoyance among some young people and their families, who expected all the pets to be taken away. “It’s not possible. I ask you please for your support with the issue of pets. We need peace of mind to make the best decisions, prioritizing human lives in a war situation. I beg your understanding,” he emphasized.

‘My niece’s husband in the Ukraine has already been recruited; she was left alone with her son. There are women who are also called to war’

The foreign minister indicated that there will be another flight and the protocol for that is being established.

The first humanitarian flight is scheduled to arrive between 06:00 and 10:00 on Friday, March 4, in Quito.

The chartered flight is an Airbus A330-300 CS-WFP of the Spanish airline World2fly. The route will be Budapest-Warsaw-Quito. The plane is in Madrid and in a few hours it will go to Hungary to start the itinerary.

Luis Galárraga, Quiport Communication Manager, He mentioned that the arrival of the plane is managed. “What the airport does is provide logistical facilities so that the government entities, which must carry out the different types of procedures, do so calmly. That is our role,” he expresses.

These are the main routes used by Ecuadorians to flee from Ukraine

Galárraga indicates that there is no definitive time of arrival, but it is in the morning. In addition, he points out that it depends on the exact time they depart from the last stopover point.

While, there is another Ecuadorian who longs to be on the list of the first flight. She is aware that the priority is women and children, but she hopes to reach a quota.

The same affirms that now he feels calm, a little more relaxed. “It’s very different than being on your own,” he says.

Ecuadorians depart from another humanitarian flight

Today a Mexican Air Force Boeing 787-888 took off from Bucharest (Romania).

On that flight there are 7 Ecuadorians along with 44 Mexicans, 28 Ukrainians, a Peruvian and an Australian, according to a publication by The universal.

Of the seven Ecuadorians, five are men and two are women..

And in that group are Jhoao Estrella and Ariel Ayo, who crossed the borders of Moldova and Ukraine in a journey of more than two days.

According to Ronny, Jhoao’s brother, this flight will stop in Canada and end in Mexico. Already in that country, the embassy manages the return of the compatriots to Ecuador.

They both lived in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Jhoao is 19 years old and has been in that country since October 2021 studying the language.

Ecuadorians in Ukraine will take refuge in bunkers as a last option; They demand a response from the Foreign Ministry

He saw the despair in the people and the terror on their faces. With his companion they undertook the trip to leave that nation walking or requesting a lift.

Their families look forward to it, so they can give each other the most anticipated hug, which would be on Friday or Saturday night. (I)