Nations race to repatriate stranded citizens as ME airspace closures strand travellers

UAE – Coordinated global evacuation efforts have intensified as governments from North America, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia raced to bring their citizens home through Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The crisis unfolded following intensified hostilities that shut much of the region’s airspace.

Consequently, officials chartered commercial jets and deployed military aircraft, routing stranded travelers through Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the key exit points where planes could still land and take off.

Beginning with France, approximately 400,000 of its citizens are in conflict-affected areas. A plane carrying French citizens from Oman and Egypt landed in Paris early Wednesday, the first of several expected repatriation flights.

Eleonore Caroit, minister for French nationals abroad, confirmed about 100 seats were reserved for vulnerable passengers including families with children, the elderly and those with medical conditions.

On the other hand, Italy evacuated students from Dubai, while more than 200 people from 16 countries departed Iran by land through neighboring Turkmenistan.

As for the U.S. State Department,18,000 Americans have returned safely, including 8,500 on Tuesday. “We will help every single American who wants to come home if they’re making that request,” said press secretary Karolyn Leavitt.

Meanwhile, Mexico evacuated nearly 280 citizens with Britain confirming a charter flight would depart Oman late Wednesday for thousands of U.K. nationals in the Gulf.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported more than 23,000 of roughly 44,000 scheduled flights to or from the Middle East have been cancelled while FlightAware recorded over 2,400 global cancellations Wednesday, down from approximately 3,150 Monday.

Commercial airlines resumed limited service, but seats filled instantly. British Airways confirmed flights from Muscat through Saturday were fully booked, adding service “if we are able.” Etihad Airways and Emirates reported commercial flights remain suspended due to ongoing airspace closures.

The repatriation effort, while gaining momentum, underscores the fragility of global travel infrastructure during regional conflicts.

As nations continue extracting citizens through available corridors, the region’s tourism ecosystem faces a prolonged recovery, with investor confidence and traveler trust hanging in the balance until normalcy returns.

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