JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) — It was an emotional homecoming at JFK Airport on Thursday as the first direct commercial flight from the UAE landed safely in New York.
As the drone strikes continue amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, Americans, including those from the Tri-State area, were desperate to make it out safely.
Charles Lowe of Bethlehem, New Jersey, was one of the passengers to land at JFK.
He captured cellphone video of an Iranian drone strike near his hotel in Dubai.
“I think actually the one person who got killed was from debris falling and we all tried to stay inside,” Lowe said.
There were similar sentiments from more than 100 high school and college students from across the globe who were stranded and had to shelter in place at their hotel in Dubai.
“We would just go into underground parking garage and just hang out for 30 minutes to an hour until we were told it was safe,” said UConn sophomore Evan Rhualt.
College sophomores Rhualt and Ryan Rivera Cabrera, of Woodstock, Connecticut, were aboard the first direct commercial flight carrying Americans from the United Arab Emirates to JFK.
“The flights after us got canceled because they started bombing the UAE again so I think we got so lucky because it’s just the first one,” Rhualt said.
Amid the war, the friends were chairing and judging the student Model United Nations conference – ironically teaching them about peace and diplomacy.
“All of the problems we have been working to solve are all of a sudden right in front of our face and they’re avoiding all of the things we try to teach these young people,” Rhualt said.
The Trump administration is facing sharp criticism by many travelers for not having an efficient plan to evacuate U.S. citizens.
“All other countries were immediately getting plans, getting planes in, while we were just kind of told get a commercial plane and stay safe,” Rivera Cabrera said.
His mom, Cathy Cabrera, was anxiously waiting for her son’s safe return.
“It was just amazing to see him,” she said. “It was devastating..it was the worst feeling ever knowing that my son is in a war zone.”
It was frightening for another mom from Sayreville, New Jersey, too. Sweta Patel had her 6-month-old baby girl with her during their two-day layover in Dubai.
“We kind of put her in that spot so it was really terrifying to be like we have a baby, we were excited to see the world with her but was that the right move,” she said.
It’s unclear what role the U.S. government played in organizing the flight.
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