Former U.S. congressman Jason Altmire managed to find a way out of Dubai after being stranded for several days earlier this week amid escalating military conflict in Iran and the Middle East.
“I find did get out on March 5, on one of the limited Emirates Airlines flights that we were able to get ourselves on,” Altmire told TribLive in the early hours of Friday morning.
“The State Department was of no assistance, and as of when we left, there still hadn’t been any evacuation flights arranged.”
Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded across the Middle East as the U.S. and Israel engage in attacks against Iran.
And between swaths of flight cancellations and airspace closures, many are still scrambling for next steps.
The conflict has continued to escalate — particularly with strikes in the Gulf states where, beyond the Middle East, airports serve as hubs connecting travelers going to Europe, Africa and Asia. Despite ongoing evacuation efforts, flights remain deeply disrupted.
TribLive spoke earlier this week with Western Pennsylvanians who are navigating similar difficulties.
“We were lucky and got out after being there since early Saturday,” Altmire said.
Altmire is a Kittanning native who served as the Democratic U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District, which included several counties in the region, from 2007-13. He is president of Career Education Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., which is a national trade association representing private colleges.
Altmire said he’s looking forward to enjoying his vacation and putting the ordeal behind him.
