A second evacuation flight ordered by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis landed at Tampa’s airport Wednesday, carrying 47 passengers fleeing Israel amid the Jewish state’s ongoing war with Hamas.
The flight was paid for by the state and the returnees are receiving follow-up services from Florida agencies, DeSantis spokesperson Jeremy Redfern told The Post.
Americans are scrambling to find flights out of Israel after major airlines — including American, Delta, and United — have canceled or suspended service due to the conflict.
DeSantis, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, authorized the Florida Division of Emergency Management Oct. 12 to “carry out logistical, rescue and evacuation operations to keep its residents safe.”
The first flight organized by the governor landed Sunday with 270 Americans on board.
DeSantis and his wife, Casey, were there to greet passengers on the Tampa tarmac.
When launching the chartered flights program, DeSantis expressed frustration at the Biden administration’s lack of services for Americans trying to leave the combat zone.
“I am proud of how quickly we have been able to activate resources and do what the federal government could not – get Floridians and other Americans back home, reunited with their families, free of charge,” the governor said at the time.
President Biden has said Hamas is holding American hostages in Gaza and at least 30 US citizens were killed in the terror group’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
The State Department has since issued a notice informing US citizens of their evacuation options, but is requiring passengers repay the government for the cost of getting them out.