Israel-iran strikes disrupt travel, families scramble for home

As the fallout from the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran intensifies, with reports of a potential month-long military response, families in the Los Angeles area are facing a desperate race to return home. The strikes, launched in retaliation for Iranian attacks, have triggered airspace closures across the Middle East, grounding thousands of flights and leaving many stranded.

Thousands of flights canceled, families seek safe passage

The U.S. State Department issued a warning to its roughly one million citizens in 14 Middle Eastern countries, urging them to depart amid escalating conflict. But for many, evacuation isn't straightforward. Rabbi Yossi Malka, whose two sons are in Israel – one serving in the army, the other a student – described the chaos firsthand. “Video with him, in the middle of the conversation, he had to run down to the shelter,” Malka recounted, sharing videos with CBS LA showing missiles overhead near one son’s dormitory and another depicting him sheltering in a bunker with fellow students.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium reports that approximately 19,000 of the 52,000 flights scheduled in and out of the Middle East have been canceled since Saturday. Patrick Caligiuri, a former Los Angeles television producer who relocated to Abu Dhabi with his wife and two young children just two weeks ago, is experiencing the disruption firsthand. He and his family have taken refuge in their laundry room, which serves as a makeshift shelter, enduring the unsettling booms and shaking windows.

“You do hear outside, you occasionally hear the booms, and you see, you feel, the windows shake and rattle,” Caligiuri said. “For the country that we’re in, and the situation that we’re in, we’re actually feeling very safe. For what is happening, the defense department here is really handling it. It’s really about looking out for the best interests of our kids right now.” His attempts to reach the State Department for information have so far been met with automated messages.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated the U.S. is actively working to secure military and charter flights for repatriation. However, with airspace restricted or closed across the region, the situation remains fluid and perilous. The immediate priority for many is simply finding a way to reach safety.