Governments around the world are racing to evacuate citizens from the Middle East as the widening war with Iran continues to paralyze regional air travel and strand tens of thousands of passengers.
A French government flight carrying evacuees from Oman and Egypt landed in Paris early Wednesday, marking the first in a series of repatriation operations announced by Emmanuel Macron’s administration. Italy also confirmed that a group of students had returned home after being evacuated from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Despite a slight uptick in flights, air travel across the region remains heavily disrupted. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, more than 20,000 of the 36,000 scheduled flights to or from the Middle East since the start of the conflict have been canceled. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported around 2,000 cancellations worldwide on Wednesday, down from roughly 3,150 on Monday.
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Airspace closures across much of the Gulf have left passengers stranded not only in regional hubs but also in cities far beyond the conflict zone, as connecting flights through major airports were scrapped.
Transit hubs and vulnerable travelers
Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have emerged as key transit points for evacuation flights.
France estimates that around 400,000 of its citizens are either living in or traveling through parts of the Middle East affected by the conflict. Eleonore Caroit, the minister responsible for French nationals abroad, said about 100 seats on the first evacuation flight were reserved for vulnerable passengers, including families with children, elderly people and those with medical conditions.
Two additional French flights were scheduled for Wednesday: a military aircraft from Abu Dhabi carrying 180 citizens and a charter from Israel with 205 passengers.
“Our goal is to help repatriate as quickly as possible the French people who wish to return,” Caroit told broadcaster TF1.
The U.S. State Department said it was assisting Americans seeking to leave the region. In a post on X, the department said 18,000 Americans had safely returned home so far, including 8,500 on Tuesday alone. Earlier guidance urged U.S. citizens in more than a dozen countries to depart using any available commercial transportation.
Britain announced a charter flight from Oman to bring back some of the thousands of U.K. nationals in the Gulf. The Foreign Office said more than 130,000 British citizens had registered their presence in the Middle East since the conflict began, though not all are attempting to leave.
Ireland’s foreign minister said Emirates airline would operate a flight from Dubai to Dublin on Wednesday, and Dublin plans to charter a separate flight from Oman for about 280 people. Norway dispatched an emergency team to Dubai to reinforce embassy staff assisting roughly 1,500 registered Norwegian nationals.
Stranded travelers worldwide
Individual stories underscore the anxiety felt by those caught in the upheaval. Italian student Valerio Schiavoi described hearing military aircraft and missile alerts while participating in a diplomatic simulation in Dubai.
“It was frightening,” said Li Qian, a tourist from Hangzhou, China, who remains stranded in Abu Dhabi with her family. She said repeated missile alerts appeared on her phone and smoke was visible near areas they had recently visited. “We just want to get home as soon as possible.”
Commercial airlines including Etihad, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic have resumed limited services from the UAE to London, but seats remain scarce. British Airways said flights from Muscat through the weekend were fully booked, adding that it would schedule additional services if possible.
The ripple effects have extended far beyond the Middle East. In Bali, Indonesia, about 6,000 passengers were stranded after flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were canceled. Indonesian authorities issued emergency stay permits and waived overstay fines for affected travelers.
Some evacuees have considered costly alternatives. Agnes Chen Pun, a Hong Kong expatriate living in Dubai, said she briefly weighed hiring a $268,000 private jet before securing commercial tickets to Singapore at $2,200 per person. Though shaken, she said she plans to return once conditions stabilize.
With airspace closures still in place and tensions high, governments continue to juggle evacuation logistics while airlines struggle to restore normal operations in one of the world’s most important aviation corridors.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 04.03 2026