The congestion of passengers stranded by the ongoing war in the Middle East is slowly easing as airlines resume some services and governments organize charter flights to help citizens exit the region.
Thousands have already departed on commercial flights from key hubs in the United Arab Emirates. Yet the situation remains fraught, with conflict intensifying and flight schedules still disrupted.
On Thursday afternoon, the first chartered evacuation flight carrying American citizens landed at Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC, after departing from Abu Dhabi.
“Hundreds of Americans were on board the flight,” a State Department spokesperson confirmed. “Others are set to follow,” they added.
Scenes of emotional reunions at airports worldwide underscore the anxiety families have endured over the past several days.
FlightAware.com reports that thousands of international flights have been canceled daily since Sunday, and travelers still attempting to leave the region face ongoing uncertainty.
Major Middle Eastern carriers include Emirates and Etihad, based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively, as well as Qatar Airways in Doha. Each of these cities functions as a significant global hub, handling millions of passengers annually.
Emirates, which had temporarily suspended all flights, is now operating a reduced schedule “until further notice.” Dubai Airports advises travelers not to go to the airport unless they have confirmed departure details directly from their airline.
Etihad Airways has announced it expects to resume a “limited commercial flight schedule” on Friday for customers with prior bookings.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways continues to suspend flights to and from Doha but has initiated a limited number of relief flights from Muscat, Oman, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to assist stranded passengers.
Israel’s national carrier, El Al, has also launched rescue efforts. “We are working to place all El Al passengers whose flights were canceled on rescue flights, at no additional cost,” the airline stated. Its first evacuation flight from Athens arrived at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv Thursday morning.
Outside the conflict zone, airlines continue to reroute or cancel flights that approach the area. German carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights to several destinations in the Middle East.
Flights to and from Larnaca, Cyprus, will resume March 7, while flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi remain suspended until March 10. Flights to and from Tehran are suspended through March 30.
Travelers are urged to contact their airline or travel agent for rebooking or refund options, though high call volumes have made assistance difficult.
What Are Governments Advising?
The U.S. State Department has advised citizens to leave several Middle Eastern countries “due to serious safety risks.”
Americans in Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are urged to fill out a crisis intake form to “receive departure assistance information from the Department of State about available aviation and ground transportation options.”
Those elsewhere in the region seeking assistance are instructed to call the 24/7 hotline: +1-202-501-4444. Earlier, a consular affairs official posted on X that Americans should leave “using available commercial travel” from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen.
Other nations have issued similar advisories. Canada, via X, advised travelers to “leave the United Arab Emirates as soon as you can secure a flight option,” while warning against travel to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Palestinian territories, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the UAE. Nonessential travel to Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia is also discouraged.
The UK has asked its nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestinian territories, Qatar, and the UAE to register their presence with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for direct updates.
Australia has opened an emergency portal for citizens in Israel, Iran, Qatar, and the UAE, cautioning that travel disruptions are likely.
Australians are advised not to travel to most Middle Eastern destinations, including Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen, and to reconsider travel to Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. embassy in Israel now offers a bus service to the Egyptian border for Americans, departing from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to the Taba crossing. Canadian nationals in Israel will also be bused to Egypt.
In Beirut, limited passengers are being placed on planes, and Canada is working to arrange charter flights out of the UAE as airspace gradually reopens, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said.
Other countries have already launched evacuation efforts. Australia’s foreign minister reported four flights have departed, with four more planned within 24 hours.
New Zealand has dispatched two defense force planes to assist with potential evacuations.
The UK is coordinating with airlines to accelerate departures, while France, Germany, and the Czech Republic have also begun evacuation flights.
The European Commission stated that at least six flights have repatriated citizens to Bulgaria, Italy, Austria, and Slovakia since Wednesday, with more planned.
Cruise Passengers Also Affected
Cruise ships in the Middle East have faced disruptions, leaving thousands of passengers and crew stranded in UAE and Qatari ports.
Germany-based TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5 remains in Doha after completing its itinerary, and the company has canceled other upcoming regional cruises. TUI reported that a special Emirates flight from Dubai to Munich transported 218 guests from Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi.
MSC Cruises, operating the MSC Euribia, is keeping the ship in Dubai per U.S. regional military guidance.
The company announced it is “launching a dedicated flight operation that currently includes five charter flights,” with the first departing March 5. “These flights would see close to 1,000 guests leave the region by Saturday,” the cruise line said.
