Greece launches animal airlift to evacuate pets and their owners from the Middle East
ATHENS, Greece — A special evacuation flight carrying Greek citizens and their pets landed in Athens on Wednesday after the travelers had been stranded in the Middle East because of the ongoing war in the region.
The flight, arranged by the Greek government and operated by Aegean Airlines, departed from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. On board were 101 passengers along with 45 pets, including dogs and cats whose owners refused to leave them behind.
When the plane arrived in Athens, emotional moments played out at the airport. Some of the animals, released from their travel carriers, excitedly jumped around after the long journey while their owners reunited with family members.
Nikos Chrysakis, Special Secretary for the Protection of Companion Animals at Greece’s Interior Ministry, said officials worked closely with the Foreign Ministry for several days to organize the evacuation.
“Our pets are not luggage. They are part of our families,” Chrysakis said, adding that the effort was focused on ensuring both people and animals could safely return home.
Air travel across the Middle East has been heavily disrupted following attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran. Several countries in the region have repeatedly closed their airspace as missiles passed overhead, forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights in major travel hubs such as Dubai and Qatar. The disruptions left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.
For Danai Koukoulomati, leaving without her cat Muay Thai was never an option. She said finding a flight that would allow her pet to travel proved extremely difficult.
“My cat is family to me. There was no way I was going to abandon him,” she said. She explained that most available flights were not accepting animals either in the cabin or in cargo.
During the tense days in the region, she said her cat handled the situation better than she did. When explosions could be heard, Muay Thai would simply hide in the bathroom.
“He stayed calm,” she said. “I was not as calm as my cat. I probably need to learn from him.”
Another passenger, Alexandra Papayanis, who has lived in Dubai for five years, arrived with her dog Sirtaki, named after the traditional Greek dance. She also brought a second dog belonging to a friend.
Papayanis said she also had trouble finding a way out that allowed pets to travel.
“Our pets are part of the family,” she said. “In situations like this, the challenge is figuring out how to bring them with us.”
She described returning to Greece with Sirtaki as a wonderful feeling after the stressful circumstances.
Maria Theochari, another passenger on the flight, said she could not imagine leaving Dubai without her dog, Matisse.
“Matisse is like my children,” she said. “For me, there is no difference. I would never separate from my animal.”
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