WASHINGTON — As the U.S., Israel, and Iran continued strikes, the U.S. government had a team working on repatriation flights, but some travelers returning from the Middle East said more needed to be done.

Aviation data from FlightRadar24 showed commercial flight activity picking up on Friday night in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Assistant State Secretary Dylan Johnson announced on Friday that nearly 24,000 U.S. citizens have “safely returned” since Feb. 28 from the Middle East.

“These figures do not include the many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have departed the Middle East but are still in transit,” Johnson said in a statement.

Some of the Middle East war zone evacuees who were relieved to be back home described the journey as chaotic and confusing after their flights were canceled with a sudden no-fly route in place.

Ryan Rivera, a Puerto Rican attending Northeastern University, was among the students stuck at the Dubai International Airport after attending the WE The People Model United Nations conference.

“All other countries were immediately getting planes, getting planes in, where we were just kind of told, like, you know, ‘Get a commercial flight and stay safe,’” Rivera, 19, told CNN.

Some evacuees have arrived on chartered flights to emotional family reunions. The New England Patriots team’s jet was also involved in the effort.

“They keep going on the news and saying they’re doing everything they can to get Americans out. I know for a fact they are not,” Alyssa Ramos, who fled Kuwait, told The Associated Press after a 48-hour journey.

Bruce Imel was in Dubai when the war started. After a flight from Abu Dhabi, he was reunited with his wife, Helen, on Thursday at Dulles International Airport.

“We were near the airport when the airport got hit and also near the consulate when the consulate got hit,” Imel said about surviving the attacks.

When the U.S-Israel-Iran strikes started, the U.S. State Department issued a “worldwide caution security alert” for U.S. travelers “due to periodic airspace closures.”

Days later, citing Cirium analytics platform data, Bloomberg reported global airline cancellations had reached more than 23,000. Fortune reported private jet flights out of Dubai climbed to $200,000.

And, the complications for travelers may just be getting started. The conflict’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz, oil tankers, fuel prices, and safe routes may continue to affect price tags.

The State Department urged U.S. citizens in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to submit an assistance request form, participate in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, and call the 24/7 Task Force at 1-202-501-4444 for help.

On Friday, the department’s “Level 4 - Do Not Travel” advisories included Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The “Level 3 - Reconsider Travel” alert included Jordan, and the “Level 2- Exercise Increased Caution” alert included Egypt.

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