The U.S. Department of State has confirmed that evacuation flights chartered for American citizens from the United Arab Emirates departed with empty seats due to low demand. In a statement, the department noted that it had contacted nearly 9,000 American citizens in the UAE to offer government-chartered evacuation flights. However, many chose to remain in the country, pointing to the improving availability of commercial flight options across the region. As a result, the State Department has begun to scale down its charter and ground transportation operations launched during the regional crisis. Since February 28, over 43,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East through a combination of government-chartered and commercial flights. The department also highlighted that its 24/7 Task Force has directly assisted more than 30,000 Americans abroad with security guidance and travel logistics. Given the declining demand for evacuation services and the successful outcome of the operations, the department indicated that this would be its final daily update, though additional updates may be issued if necessary.
