Ten days after US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered regional airport closures, the French Foreign Ministry has swung into full evacuation mode, coordinating charter flights, military transports and sea assets to bring home some 7,500 citizens who have requested assistance. Airlifts are complicated by the shutdown of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, forcing evacuees to reach Jordan or Egypt by land before boarding flights. In the Gulf, French MRTT and A400M military aircraft shuttle supplies into Al-Dhafra air base and return with stranded tourists, although limited seating and bench-style cabins make these runs unsuitable for children. To boost capacity, Paris has negotiated fixed-price blocks on Emirates and Etihad services from Muscat and Dubai, where demand has caused border delays of up to ten hours. Meanwhile, the amphibious helicopter carrier Tonnerre has positioned off Lebanon to provide a maritime contingency should Beirut’s commercial links fail. For multinational employers with staff on assignment in the region, the operation underscores the importance of traveller-tracking tools like Fil d’Ariane and robust evacuation clauses in international health-and-security policies. Companies are urged to update emergency contacts, review proof-of-life procedures and confirm that employees retain valid multiple-entry Schengen visas to ease re-entry once flights materialise.
Source: Le Monde
