Emotional scenes unfolded at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos as Greek nationals were reunited with relatives who had been waiting anxiously. The stranded passengers arrived late on Thursday night aboard a special flight arranged by Greece's foreign ministry and operated by Aegean Airlines, bringing them home safely.
Greece is evacuating citizens from the Middle East as the war disrupts travel and leaves many foreigners stranded across the Gulf. The flight that departed from Abu Dhabi and Oman was initially expected to land shortly after 21:00, but arrived in Athens around 23:00. Many returning passengers described the journey home as a relief after days of uncertainty.
"It was a difficult experience, but now everything is okay. The flight was okay. It was nearly full," one passenger said after landing. Another traveller, who was visiting the region briefly with her family, mentioned that the situation escalated quickly.
"We thank God again because we just found out that down there, everything is chaos. It was very important that we arrived. We planned a three-day trip, but instead of having fun, we went through hell. Mainly, there was anxiety and fear. Just boarding the plane to leave was very crucial."
According to the foreign ministry, a total of 305 Greek nationals were repatriated from the United Arab Emirates on Thursday alone through multiple routes and transport operations. Earlier in the day, 91 Greek citizens and family members were flown to Athens from Abu Dhabi aboard a C-130 military aircraft, while 101 people returned from Dubai on a special commercial flight organised with Aegean Airlines. Another 113 individuals travelled from Sharjah to Athens on a flight operated by Air Arabia. In addition, 10 Greek nationals left Jerusalem by road and crossed into Egypt at the Taba border crossing, assisted by Greek diplomatic officials.
Greek authorities state that evacuation operations will continue in the coming days as the situation in the wider region remains volatile. Athens has urged citizens currently in the region to contact Greek embassies or consular authorities and register through the official crisis platform so they can be included in potential evacuation flights.
Two further repatriation flights from Oman are scheduled for Friday. One in the afternoon, operated by Sky Express, and another in the evening by Aegean, as Greece keeps diplomatic and logistical channels on standby to assist nationals affected by the conflict.
