The first travellers from Dubai trickled into Changi Airport in the morning yesterday, after days of flight cancellations caused by the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran that closed airspaces across the Middle East.
Many travellers had scrambled to book the limited plane tickets on offer and were greeted by family members who were relieved and overjoyed to see them return home.
“I was very worried during the past few days,” said Shawn Sim, who was at the airport to meet his 63-year-old mother Law Chai Eng. “I was constantly checking on her every hour.”
Law had been on holiday in Dubai with friends and the group recounted their experience of seeing missiles flying overhead.
“They looked like fire rockets... We were so shocked and scared,” they said. “We knew war (had) officially started.”
Emirates and Etihad Airways said on Wednesday that they will be resuming limited flights from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore.
In Facebook posts on the same day, the Singapore embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate-general in Dubai also advised returning Singaporeans to quickly secure tickets on the respective airlines’ websites, given the high demand.
When The Straits Times arrived at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 arrival hall at 8am yesterday, many Singaporeans had gathered to wait for their returning family members.
Among them was Geraldine Lin, who was there with her in-laws to meet her husband.
Carl Rajoo, an economist, had gone to Dubai for a business trip and was slated to return on Feb 28.
But his return flight on Singapore Airlines was cancelled while he was still on his way to the Dubai airport to catch his flight home, and he had to scramble to rebook a new flight.
Lin, 43, who works in finance, said the experience was “definitely a bit traumatic”, but she is thankful that her husband is safe.
Having seen him only through video calls, Carl’s mother added: “We are waiting anxiously to see his face.”
Passengers on Carl’s Emirates flight – EK314 from Dubai, which landed at about 8.15am – said that they were glad to be home.
“I was so happy when we took off,” said Anil George, a technology manager who had also been slated to return on Feb 28.
But that flight was cancelled, he said, adding that it was a “big relief” that he managed to secure a ticket home.
Business owner Anabelle Lim, who flew to Dubai on Feb 19 and returned on the same flight, added: “The first thing I’m going to do is sleep.”
“My nervous system has been up the whole time. Nothing beats the feeling of touching down safely at home after being in a war zone.”
The travel chaos began after the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran on Feb 28, which resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders.
Teheran responded by striking the US’ Gulf allies and targeting infrastructure such as airports and luxury hotels.
Israel, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq closed their airspace, causing widespread flight cancellations and leaving thousands of travellers stranded as the Middle East is a major travel hub between Europe and Asia. — The Straits Times/ANN
