The logjam of passengerstrapped by war in the Middle Eastis starting to clear as airlines schedule new services and governments rally charter flights to transport citizens to destinations outside the region.
Thousands have managed to leave the region on commercial flights from key hubs in the United Arab Emirates – however, the situation remains challenging as the conflict intensifies and flight schedules remain in disarray.
The first US-faciliatedcharter flight of Americansleft the Middle East on Wednesday, and "additional flights will be surged throughout the region," said the State Department.
Emotional scenes of reunions at airports around the world speak to the anxiety families have been feeling over the last several days.
Here's what travelers need to know.
What are governments advising?
The State Department has urged US citizens to leave a number of countries in the Middle East "due to serious safety risks" as the US-Israel war on Iran enters its sixth day.
The State Department on Wednesday called on US citizens in countries including Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to fill out acrisis intake formto "receive departure assistance information from the Department of State about available aviation and ground transportation options."
Almost 3,000 Americans have called to register with the department, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on CNN on Wednesday. He added that Americans who wish to leave the region and have registered with the State Department should be ready to go as they wait for information from the department.
Americans in other countries who wish to receive assistance are still told to call the 24/7 hotline: +1-202-501-4444. More than 120 people are fielding calls at that 24/7 call center, a State Department official said.
"We will proactively reach out when charter flights, charter buses, other options are available. When they call, when they register, we have people right now, hundreds of people proactively making calls. Advice for American people in the region: be ready to go quickly once you receive that call," Pigott said.
An earlier post on X from a State Department consular affairs official on Monday had called on US citizens to depart "using available commercial travel" from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Other nations have issued similar warnings as they work to assist stranded travelers in the region.
Canada's government posted a notice on X advising travelers to "leave the United Arab Emirates as soon as you can secure a flight option." It has also advised Canadians to avoid all travel to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Palestinian territories, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE and to avoid nonessential travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The United Kingdom's government says British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestinian territories, Qatar and the UAE should register their presence to receive direct updates from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The Australian government has opened an emergency portal for citizens in Israel, Iran, Qatar and the UAE, and warned its citizens overseas to be prepared for serious travel disruptions in the days ahead.
Australians have beenadvisednot to travel to most destinations in the Middle East. This includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria, the UAE and Yemen. They should also reconsider the need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Is Middle East airspace still closed?
The Middle East is home to several major airlines, including Emirates and Etihad in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways, based in the Qatari capital, Doha.
All three of those cities are major global hubs, with millions of passengers transiting through them each year.
Emirates, which had suspended all flights to and from its bases, resumed alimited numberof repatriation and freight flights Monday night. All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai will remain suspended until at least 11.59 p.m. UAE time on March 7, according to its website.
TheDubai Airports websiteadvises travelers not to proceed to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by their airlines.
All ofEtihad's scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until 6 a.m. UAE time on March 6.
Qatar Airways flights to and from Doha's Hamad International Airport remainsuspendeddue to the closure of Qatari airspace.
However, Qatar Airways announced Thursday it will start operating a limited number of relief flights departing from neighboring countries to aid stranded passengers. In astatement posted to X, Qatar Airways said it will begin operating flights from Muscat in Oman to London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam, as well as from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Frankfurt.
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Israeli flag carrier El Al is working to repatriate its customers as well, with the airline's first rescue flight, from Athens, landing at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv Thursday morning. "We are working to place all El Al passengers whose flights were canceled on rescue flights, at no additional cost," said a statement from the airline.
How many flights have been canceled?
Thousands of international flights have been canceled each day since Sunday, according to data fromFlightAware.com, with the chaos likely to continue this week for those still struggling to get out.
Outside the region, other airlines continue to reroute or cancel flights that had been scheduled to fly near the conflict zone.
German airlineLufthansa, for instance, has suspended regular flights to and from Dubai until March 6. It has also suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8.
What should you do if your flight is canceled?
Travelers are advised to check with their airline or travel agent as soon as possible for information on rebooking and refunds, though passengers are reporting difficulties getting assistance because of high caller volumes.
Policies vary according to the airline, with options for refunds or fee-free rebooking. Policies fromEmiratesandEtihadare listed on their websites, with specifics subject to change as the situation evolves.
Airlines outside the region, such asBritish Airways, are also offering flexibility to affected travelers.
What about cruises?
Cruise ships in the region have also been affected, with thousands of passengers and crew waiting on vessels that have been waylaid in ports in the UAE and Qatar.
Among them isthe Mein Schiff 5, operated by Germany-based TUI Cruises, which is now in Doha Port after completing its itinerary. TUI has canceled other cruises scheduled to commence in the region in coming days.
TUI's chief executive Sebastian Ebel said Tuesday that the company plans to repatriate German customers stranded in the Middle East within several days, Reuters reports.
TUI Cruises said that a special Emirates flight departed from Dubai to Munich with 218 guests from Mein Schiff 4, its vessel in Abu Dhabi.
Swiss-Italian operator MSC Cruises said its vessel, the MSC Euribia, is remaining in Dubai following guidance from US regional military authorities, according to Reuters.
On Wednesday, the cruise line said it's working directly with airlines, including Emirates and Etihad Airways, requesting "priority" for passengers on return flights.
"At present, airlines operating flights have indicated that they will follow an order of priority based on the original flight date," said an MSC Cruises' spokesperson.
The cruise line said it's also working on chartering flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat "to speed up the repatriation."
What else is being done for stranded passengers?
In addition to the US, many countries are working to get their stranded nationals home safely, with evacuation flights now underway.
On Thursday, the New Zealand government said in a statement it's exploring all options.
"With airspace closed and most commercial flights not operating, we continue to recommend that New Zealanders shelter in place — or take any safe and practical opportunities that are available to leave the region," said Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
"As part of preparing for all contingencies, we are pre-deploying New Zealand consular staff and two Defence Force planes to the region — so that they can be ready when conditions allow to assist with any civilian evacuation operations."
Canada is also working to evacuate some of its citizens from the Middle East, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Canadian nationals in Israel will be bused to the Egyptian border. In Beirut, limited numbers are being put on planes. The government is also trying to arrange charter flights out of the UAE as the airspace begins to open, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand told a press conference.
The British foreign minister said the UK is working with airlines to boost evacuations, while France, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic have also begun arranging flights out of the region.
CNN's Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, Trista Kurniawan, Rhea Mogul, Maureen O'Hare, Rebekah Riess, Laura Sharman, Francesca Street, Paula Newton and Hilary Whiteman contributed to this report.
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The logjam of passengerstrapped by war in the Middle Eastis starting to clear as airlines schedule new services and gover...
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