BEIJING: A honeymooning Chinese couple have been separated by the US-Israel strikes on Iran, which caused airspace closures across the Middle East and reportedly affected more than a million passengers.
The newlywed couple, from eastern China’s Zhejiang province, travelled to the Middle East on Feb 19 to enjoy its beautiful sunset scenery.
Doha was the last stop of their trip.
They exchanged their airline credits for business class tickets from Doha to Sydney as the husband, surnamed Yu, works in Melbourne. However, because of the airline’s policy, they did not get tickets for the same day.
The wife, surnamed Zheng, got a ticket for the 9am flight on Feb 28. Yu got a ticket for the same flight the next day.
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28.
Three major Middle East hubs, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, shut down their airports.
This reportedly caused 11,000 flights into, out of and within the Middle East to be cancelled, affecting more than a million passengers, according to the aviation analytics firm Cirium.
As the region is at the centre of long-haul routes, the airspace closures could also lead to rising fuel costs and fares.
Zheng luckily made the trip out of Doha, but her husband was stranded.
Yu said it would cost him 35,000 yuan (US$5,000) to reschedule to a closer date. It was both expensive and troublesome to change to other airlines.
He decided to change his flight to March 13 for free.
Yu stayed in a hotel in downtown Doha priced at 600 yuan (US$90) per night. He witnessed many missiles exploding in the air from where he stayed.
He said the hotel’s breakfast supply, which was included in the accommodation, was not affected. He could also order delivery food.
“It is the first time I realised that the war can be so close,” said Yu.
He reported his situation to his company, which told him to prioritise his own well-being.
Zheng said she was deeply worried about Yu’s safety.
China has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Iran and the surrounding region that is affected by the air strikes. It has also evacuated more than 3,000 Chinese citizens from Iran, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Airline companies and travel agencies also launched plans to refund flight and hotel bookings in the region scheduled until mid-March.
On mainland social media, people expressed disbelief over the couple’s choice.
“This is the first time I have seen couples on their honeymoon fly on different days,” one said.
“Even when the situation is so tense, he still chooses money over his life,” said another.
Recently, a Chinese woman, with her mother and two children from eastern China’s Shandong province, reportedly spent 60,000 yuan (US$8,700), travelling for 50 hours from Dubai to Amman by road, then flew back to China via Dhaka. - South China Morning Post
