Grateful passengers who boarded a special repatriation flight from the UAE to Greece with their beloved pets by their side said they never considered leaving "members of our family behind".
A total of 101 travellers were joined by 45 faithful companions on the plane journey from Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens on Wednesday evening.
The Greek government worked with authorities in the Emirates to ensure the aviation mission, named "Operation Ark", was a success.
Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior answered the call after Greeks living in the UAE raised concerns about their ability to make the journey back if unable to bring their cats and dogs with them.
“Our animals are not luggage, they are members of our family, and for that reason the government made this happen. The people and animals came to Greece safely”, said Nikolaos Chrysakis, the Interior Ministry's director of the Secretariat for the Protection of Companion Animals.
A series of repatriation flights have been arranged between the UAE and destinations around the world, to return residents and tourists to their home countries and fly expatriates and Emiratis back to the Emirates.
Air travel has been severely disrupted by Iran's sustained attacks on Gulf countries, which led to airspace being closed before flights gradually resumed.
Danai Koukoulommati, who moved to Dubai in December 2025, led efforts to set up the repatriation flight. She owns a cat hotel in Thailand, and faced a unique set of challenges that led her to advocate for a pet flight through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"They are family", she told The National. "We moved from Thailand to Greece, and then to Dubai together. You don't leave family behind."
Greece conducted a series of repatriation flights with Emirates, but pets were not allowed to travel in the cabin or in the hold.
"I went to the airport with my cats and my husband, and I tried to board that [repatriation] flight. However, Emirates was very strict with their policies. They don't accept pets on special flights, neither as cargo nor in the cabin. I couldn't see any way out of the country, so I decided I had to do something." Ms Koukoulommati said.
Aegean Airlines ensured the furry friends were made to feel right at home. After meal service was completed for their owners, food was dished out for the animals. The pets were quiet and well-behaved, and Ms Koukoulommati said that in fact "the humans made more noise by laughing and talking to each other".
Fellow pet owner Niki Tachiaou said a plane ride made in the most extraordinary of circumstances ended up being surprisingly routine.
"It was really just like any other flight, you could not hear them at all," she said. "They were all sleeping, mine was just like a (regular) tourist. It was something that made us wonder afterwards why it hadn’t been done before."
Passengers shared in the camaraderie of being pet parents, and bonded over their journey. From being strangers, these Greeks in the UAE became friends. "It was like we were travelling as a big family. I felt so close to all of them", said Ms Koukoulommati.
This experience has inspired Ms Koukoulommati to join an NGO in Greece, Dog's Voice, and to fight for pets during times of crisis on an EU-wide scale.
"No matter where the crisis happens, there should be a plan for pets as well. I think it should be inspiring for other countries, because in the Western world especially, pets are part of the family."
The feeling of joy and pride was immense for Ms Koukoulommati and her fellow travellers, who received a warm welcome on arrival from the media, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and family members.
"I felt so proud, to be a Greek and that my country really felt for us. They took that initiative when everyone would think, 'there's a war, who cares about pets'," she said. "I think when you care about something you consider family, that makes a difference to you, and when your country sees that value and they value the same thing, it's something really touching."
