In October 2023, the German military, Bundeswehr, conducted its first direct evacuation of German citizens from Tel Aviv since the conflict between Israel and Iran began. Two Airbus A400M aircraft of the Luftwaffe departed from Wunstorf Air Base in Lower Saxony on Friday morning.
The aircraft landed at Cologne/Bonn Airport overnight, carrying 64 German returnees from Israel, including many families with children. This marked the first direct evacuation flight from the war zone by the Bundeswehr.
The evacuation aimed to rescue vulnerable individuals, particularly families with young children, from the escalating conflict zone. Prior to this, 345 Germans and close relatives had been flown out via charter flights through Jordan.