First flights out of Middle East land at Dulles Airport
The first flights carrying passengers from the Middle East landed at Dulles International Airport Thursday afternoon, marking a breakthrough after days of travel chaos and thousands stranded overseas.
Two commercial flights have landed at Dulles so far, but thousands are still stranded in the Middle East as these evacuation missions are just starting to take place, and the security situation in the region remains uncertain.
Flights from Doha, Qatar and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Dulles remain canceled. It's unclear when full regular service will resume.
But according to officials, the massive travel backlog is starting to clear, with new flights being added and some passengers finally able to leave the Middle East.
The United States is also organizing charter flights back to the US. Americans in harm's way overseas need to register with the State Department if they need help leaving.
Since the strike started, more than 17,000 Americans have returned to the U.S. since the conflict began.
The efforts to get people home come as the U.S. and Israel are stepping up attacks on Iranian targets.
Nearly a week into the conflict, and the U.S. is closer to achieving complete dominance over Iran's airspace after hitting more than 2,000 targets.
The Pentagon says Iranian missile launches are now down 86%, but Iran is still fighting back, launching a new wave of attacks on American and Israeli basis.
FOX 5 cameras were there as an Etihad flight coming from Abu Dhabi touched down.
After days of uncertainty, passengers on an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi walked through the doors at Dulles Airport and straight into the arms of family.
There were tears and just pure relief that could be felt in the room.
"We’re very, very grateful," said passenger Olga Raptis. "We were hearing explosions in the sky, and that definitely worried us. Every night we would hear alarms on our phones, but the UAE made us feel very safe. The government took good care of us there."
Claudia Contreras, whose family member was on one of the flights, said the days waiting for news were incredibly stressful.
"Very grateful they are back," she said. "It was very stressful. Thank God they are back."
Among those returning Thursday was an 18-year-old student who had been on a college trip overseas with dozens of classmates. Her family said the uncertainty of the past several days was overwhelming.
"My heart is dropping because I was so worried," said her mother, Meklete Tekle. "I just found out this week that she’s coming home safely."
Her daughter, Adaera Eskinder, said repeated flight cancellations made the journey back difficult.
"A lot of the flights were canceled, so it was hard coming back here," Eskinder said. "But when I finally got the flight back, I was very grateful."
Her sister, Blane Thomas, said the family is thinking about others still waiting for loved ones to return.
"I pray for all the families that they get some kind of comfort — that as these kids come back, their kids will too," she said.
Earlier, a government charter flight also arrived at Dulles.
The State Department says it’s now facilitating charter flights from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan as part of a broader effort to help Americans leave the region as commercial air travel remains disrupted.
Meanwhile, private security teams are also working around the clock to help evacuate people from the region.
Global security firm Global Guardian — which operates in more than 170 countries and has a presence in Virginia — says its teams have been conducting nonstop evacuation operations, transporting people from dangerous areas to airports or private aircraft.
"These teams are providing secure transport from point A, where we pick up the client, and take them to the airport or private aviation and out of the area," said Colin O’Brien of Global Guardian. "Then they turn around and go straight back into the danger area and do it again."
O’Brien says conditions on the ground remain unpredictable, with reports of errant missiles and explosions near airports, hotels and other civilian locations, making evacuation operations especially risky.
"Our teams have to deal with incoming fire while they’re still driving," he said. "And they’ve been working nonstop for a week, taking 30-minute cat naps. The safety element at the level these folks are pushing is really critical."
Officials say more flights are expected in the coming days as the effort to bring Americans home continues.
For now, the State Department is urging any Americans still in the region to register through the crisis intake form on their website or contact the closest U.S. embassy or consulate.
