️ Tens of thousands of people have been left stranded in the Middle East following the initiation of hostilities by the United States and Israel against the Iranian government. Some wealthy travelers are spending exorbitant sums to charter private flights out of the region, with costs reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars.
️ Much of the region's airspace remains closed due to the conflict, with only a limited number of flights departing from a handful of key hubs, including Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, and Muscat in Oman. Kirti Arora, 37, stranded with her husband in Qatar's capital Doha while en route from New Delhi to Madrid, stated: "People are panicking now. Many are desperate to leave. We don't wish to leave the hotel and plan our own route as there's a lot of stress at borders and explosions are happening at odd hours".
️ According to analytics firm Cirium, over 23,000 flights have been cancelled since Saturday when the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began. Dozens of countries, including the US, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, have organized chartered flights to repatriate their citizens. However, these efforts are being hampered by logistical challenges amid the near-total shutdown of commercial aviation in one of the world's busiest regions for international travel.
️ The US Department of State announced on Thursday that it would increase charter flights for its citizens, following criticism of the Trump administration's alleged lack of assistance for stranded travelers. A French government-chartered Air France flight was forced to turn back to the UAE due to missile fire near Dubai. According to the UK Foreign Office, more than 138,000 British nationals, most of them in the UAE, have contacted authorities for assistance since the conflict erupted, though most are not expected to seek evacuation from the region.
️ Travelers with deep pockets have turned to private jet brokers. Altay Kula, sales and marketing director at JET-VIP in France, noted: "It has been difficult to keep up with demand due to a mismatch between inquiries and the supply of aircraft". He said scheduling a large-cabin business jet from the Gulf to Europe costs between $120,000 and $200,000. Adam Steiger, president of Air Charter Advisors, stated: "I would describe the mood among our clients as one of 'calculated urgency'. While there isn't outward panic, there is a clear desire to beat further potential airspace closures. Our clients are prioritizing certainty and safety over cost at this moment".
Source: www.aljazeera.com