U.S. Citizen Stuck in Qatar Hopes for a Repatriation Flight While Scheduled Service is Cancelled

With Qatar’s airspace repeatedly closing because of incoming Iranian missiles and drones, commercial flights have become unpredictable. Most departures are now chartered repatriation flights coordinated by governments, and the U.S. State Department is deciding which Americans can board these limited flights on Qatar Airways leaving the country.

Those chartered flights operate on commercial aircraft, but airlines do not control the passenger lists. Travelers must register through the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and wait to be assigned a seat.

Traditionally, Americans on repatriation flights reimburse the U.S. government for the cost of the trip. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently waived those charges by tapping $40 million in emergency funds. Travelers may still have to pay for onward flights once they reach another international hub.

Sunny Torgerson, 52, an American who lives in Puerto Rico, is one of the tr