'Most intense flight ever': UAE residents reflect on Gulf airspace closure

Passengers watched news of Iran's thwarted attack on screens in mid-air

Traveller Fakhr-e-Alam said passengers followed the situation in real-time on his Emirates flight. Photo: Fakhr-e-Alam

UAE residents have reflected on a night of major travel disruption after several flights were rerouted following Iran's thwarted attack on Qatar's US airbase at Al Udeid.

Dozens of planes heading for Doha were rerouted, with Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam and Dubai among the affected destinations, as Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait closed their respective airspace.

A passenger on board an Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai on Monday evening described the moment the plane he was on had to be rerouted in mid-air.

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He said the 15-hour journey turned into a near 19-hour ordeal imbued with confusion, speculation and visible panic among passengers.

Tense situation

Fakhr-e-Alam, a Pakistani singer, actor and licensed pilot who has lived in Dubai for 21 years, was on Flight EK226, an A380 passenger jet, when the situation unfolded.

“Everything was fine,” he told The National. "I was monitoring the flight status on the in-flight TV and saw 50 minutes to destination, so I started to prepare for landing.

“A few minutes later I heard the engines spooled up and since I am a pilot myself, I found that odd because we were close to Dubai and should have been in a descent.”

He noticed the estimated arrival time on the in-flight map had jumped from 50 minutes to nearly two more hours.

“Since I was connected online, I immediately scanned the news feeds and X to find out Qatar had closed its airspace," he said. "I had another friend of mine on a different seat, so I went and told him the situation was tense.”

Passengers queue at Dubai International Airport after flight disruption across the Gulf. Reuters

The two made their way to the aircraft’s lounge to speak to the cabin crew. “The crew was extremely calm and very professional. They said they would let us know when they heard from the captain.”

As the plane began circling over Riyadh, passengers were left guessing what would happen next. Mr Alam, who remained online and in touch with some of his aviation contacts, tried to gather more information as the regional crisis escalated.

“Then the captain came over the PA and informed us we were awaiting instructions from the company. He sounded very reassuring.”

Meanwhile, passengers began watching news broadcasts on the in-flight screens, showing the attacks unfolding.

“The news was not pretty, as one airspace after another was closing down," Mr Alam added. "All passengers were watching these events on the screens in horror and shock.”

He described emotional scenes in the cabin. “A mother held her infant tightly and had tears running from her eyes. An American couple were extremely worried and emotional.”

Mr Alam said he was increasingly concerned about fuel levels, given the long-haul nature of the flight and the additional time already spent in the air.

Traveller Fakhr-e-Alam on Emirates flight. Photo: Fakhr-e-Alam

After several hours of circling and mounting speculation, the crew announced that a new air corridor had opened and Dubai International Airport had resumed operations. “So after another hour and 20 minutes, I saw the Dubai skyline and lights, and we landed safely,” he said.

Mr Alam said the professionalism of the Emirates crew and calm response of the UAE authorities helped to manage what could have turned into a far more chaotic situation.

“Imagine flying 15 hours from the other side of the planet and just before landing you are diverted without any clarity as to what happens next, and stay up in the air for almost four extra hours.

“I am a frequent flyer and have been for over two decades. This was by far was the most intense flight I have ever experienced.”

Long and winding journey

Dubai-bound flight diverted four times amid Middle East airspace closure

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Wajod Alkhamis, a multimedia producer for The National, was due to land back in Dubai from Zurich on Monday night when airspace closures led to her Swiss Airlines flight changing course and eventually touching down in Izmir, Turkey.

She was taken to a hotel about an hour away from the airport before being flown back to Zurich. She is due to finally fly back to Dubai on Thursday.

"We left Zurich as scheduled, about an hour from landing in Dubai the pilot announced a diversion. We were rerouting due to airspace disruptions.

"First we were told we would land in Cairo, then Athens, then Antalya, until finally the plane landed in Izmir."

Keeping families apart

Faisal Al Mutairi, a Saudi-American business owner who has lived in Dubai for 10 years, reflected on the disappointment he felt in finding out he would not be reunited with his wife and family.

"I had just taken off from Berlin, heading to Dubai," he said. "I didn't know it happened but for a couple of hours I had been trying to get internet on board, as I wanted to see if something was happening, but it wasn’t working.

"Then the pilot told us, just as we were reaching Turkey, that we were turning back to Berlin and there had been an issue at the airport. I was so upset, as I was going back home to my wife and two kids. It was such a stressful moment not knowing what was happening, what was going to happen and not being able to be there to protect my family."

Mr Al Mutairi had to make his way back into the city of Berlin at midnight and find a hotel, because the airline office had closed by the time his flight landed.

Iran's attempt to attack the US's Al Udeid base - in pictures

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  An Iranian missile is intercepted over Qatar. Reuters

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  Traces in the sky as seen in Doha. Reuters

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  An interceptor missile in the sky over Qatar. Reuters

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  People film the projectiles over Doha. AFP

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  Traces in the sky above Doha. Reuters

"Now I have a flight booked to come back to Dubai this evening but at this point I’ve no idea if it will be cancelled or if we’ll turn back mid-air again. Hopefully it won’t come to that."

Looking ahead

Omar Abduljabar, 43, from Iraq, told The National he had been planning a visit to Istanbul next week with his family but is now thinking about cancelling.

“After the closing of airspace in some countries and the tension in the area, I’m rethinking to cancel the trip,” Mr Abduljabar said.

He had been hoping to enjoy a 10-day holiday with his wife and two children, before returning back to his government job in Dubai.

“I’m afraid about something happening, then I couldn’t return to Dubai,” he added. "I’ve heard stories about people getting stuck in different countries in the last 12 days because of the war.

“I emailed the airline to see if I could cancel the tickets or maybe push my flights to the end of July, until things are clearer.”