A group of Chinese travelers, who had been left stuck in the Middle East due to tensions in the region, safely returned to their homeland on Monday after an evacuation plan was put in place to bring them back via Oman.
Joint military strikes launched by the United States and Israel on Iran since Feb. 28 have triggered a sharp escalation, as Iran has hit back with retaliatory strikes on various targets across the region.
Explosions have been reported in multiple Middle East countries, while the closure of airspace across the Gulf region due to the conflict has also caused widespread disruption, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.
In recent days, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Aviation Administration of China have made alternative travel arrangements and put on extra flights to bring stranded Chinese travelers back home from the Middle East.
On Monday, passengers arriving at the Beijing Daxing International Airport on a direct flight from the Omani capital Muscat spoke of their sense of relief upon landing following the recent uncertainty.
"I feel so relieved to be back. I truly want to thank our motherland," said one of the returnees.
"The embassy temporarily arranged an extra flight yesterday, so everyone on our flight came directly by car from either Dubai or Abu Dhabi. [I was] so happy," said another.
"Leaders from the overseas Chinese chambers of commerce volunteered at the airport, helping us check-in until we boarded the plane," said a traveler.
Many recalled the feeling of fear and anxiety of the days and nights they spent stuck in the UAE, but said the moment they boarded the flight home, the pent-up emotions of those days finally gave way to an overwhelming sense of joy.
"I was scared, honestly. Especially at night, there were often sirens going off and other stuff," said a traveler.
"I heard the sounds of gunfire twice. It made me so anxious that I couldn't sleep at night. Now that we're back, we finally feel relieved and safe," said another.
Chinese nationals return to homeland from Middle East via Oman
