Tens of Thousands Scramble for Flights Out of Middle East as Iran War Escalates

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1221 EAT on Friday 6 March 2026

Tens of thousands of people are scrambling to leave the Middle East after being stranded by the United States-Israeli war on Iran, with some wealthy travellers reportedly spending huge sums to charter private flights out of the region.

Much of the region’s airspace remains closed as the conflict continues, with only a limited number of commercial flights operating from a handful of regional hubs, including Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Muscat in Oman.

People are panicking now,” said Kirti Arora, 37, who was left stranded in Doha along with her husband while travelling from New Delhi to Madrid. “Many are desperate to leave.”

“We don’t want to leave the hotel and try to plan our own route because there is a lot of stress at the borders and explosions are happening at odd hours,” Arora said.
More than 23,000 flights have been cancelled since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Saturday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Dozens of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have organised chartered flights to repatriate their citizens. However, these efforts have been hampered by logistical challenges amid the near shutdown of commercial aviation in one of the world’s busiest regions for international travel.

The United States Department of State said on Thursday it would increase charter flights for its citizens, following criticism of the administration of Donald Trump over what some described as insufficient assistance to stranded travellers.

Nearly 20,000 US citizens have returned home since the conflict began, according to the State Department, which announced the departure of its first chartered evacuation flight on Wednesday.

Clear newsroom style French authorities said on Thursday that a government-chartered Air France flight helping repatriate about 5,000 citizens was forced to turn back to the United Arab Emirates after missile fire was reported near Dubai.

More than 138,000 British nationals — most of them based in the United Arab Emirates — have contacted the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for assistance since the conflict began, although officials say the majority are not expected to seek evacuation from the region.

British authorities have so far arranged three charter flights, the first of which arrived in London on Friday after leaving Muscat nearly 24 hours behind schedule.

Meanwhile, Anita Anand said on Wednesday that charter flights carrying about 2,000 stranded citizens were expected to depart from the United Arab Emirates within the next 72 hours.

“The cost of travelling to Muscat has become astronomical,” said British-Canadian national Dilini Reynold, who was stranded in Dubai while on holiday. “People are really taking advantage of the situation. Tickets from Oman to London are ridiculously expensive.”

Reynold said he hopes to leave Dubai on Sunday after booking a one-way ticket costing about £1,000 ($1,337).

“I’ve also asked a British travel agent to keep an eye out for seats on Etihad Airways just in case,” he said. “Tickets on Emirates over the weekend are going for as much as £4,000 ($5,348) one way.

Everything is so expensive. I think aviation authorities should work on adding more repatriation flights out of Dubai.”

Amid the travel chaos, some wealthy travellers have turned to private jet brokers to charter flights out of the region.
Altay Kula, sales and marketing director at JET-VIP, said demand has surged, making it difficult to keep up with inquiries due to a shortage of available aircraft.

Kula said chartering a large-cabin business jet from the Gulf to Europe currently costs between $120,000 and $200,000, with the company typically aiming to arrange departures within 12 to 24 hours of a booking request.

“From our perspective as a charter brokerage, we are also seeing travellers who would not normally consider private aviation turning to this option,” Kula said.

“With fewer commercial alternatives available and growing uncertainty around flight schedules, private jets are, in some cases, becoming one of the only ways for passengers to secure a reliable departure within a short timeframe.”

Adam Steiger, president of Air Charter Advisors, said his company had recorded a tenfold increase in inquiries from both residents and businesses seeking to relocate families and essential staff amid the escalating regional conflict.

“I would describe the mood among our clients as one of ‘calculated urgency’,” Steiger said. “While there isn’t outward panic, there is a clear desire to move before any further airspace closures. At the moment, clients are prioritising certainty and safety over cost.”

Muhammad Umar Malik, manager at Prime Jet Services, said his firm had so far organised 10 flights, with prices starting at about $100,000 for a small jet departing Dubai or Muscat for Istanbul.

“There has been a significant rise in demand, but this has not translated into a surge in bookings because many people cannot afford such costs,” Malik said, adding that the company had also lost regular business as local travel slowed during the observance of Ramadan.

“The mood is that those who are flying are the ones who are panicking,” he added.
Commenting on the intense competition for private flights, Alexander Graham, director of Luxe Jets, told Al Jazeera that bookings were being handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We try to hold reservations for a maximum of two hours,” Graham said.

-Aljazeera

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