SEPANG: A group of Malaysians who were stranded in Dubai since February 28 due to the conflict in the Middle East arrived home safely via Emirates flight EK342, on Thursday night (March 5).
The aircraft touched down at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 at 9.40pm.
It is understood that they are the first group of those stranded in Dubai to successfully return home after being stuck for six days following the closure of regional airspace.
The wave of attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, as well as Tehran’s retaliatory strikes against targets across the region, forced the closure of a significant portion of Middle Eastern airspace, consequently impacting flights worldwide.
At least eight countries announced the closure of their respective airspaces when the conflict erupted on February 28, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Sharing his experience, Pirativ Rao, 30, said he and his parents joined a holiday tour to Europe on Feb 17 but ended up being stranded in Dubai due to the airspace closure.
"A total of 18 people in the tour group began the journey (to Europe) on Feb 17 and were supposed to return to Malaysia via Dubai on Feb 28, but our flight was cancelled after news of the bombings in Iran spread," he told Bernama.
He added that they were forced to take shelter in a hotel throughout that period, but expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government and Emirates airline for providing accommodation and food to the stranded passengers.
"The most distressing experience occurred when the emergency alert system issued a notification regarding potential missile attacks. We then received an alert around 1:00 am advising us to stay away from windows and high areas. We panicked and were immediately taken down (by hotel staff) to the ground floor to take cover," he said.
He stated that they also heard several explosions at night, believed to be from defense systems intercepting missiles.
"We couldn't sleep all night because of the sound of explosions and the alerts we received. It was a terrifying experience as we had never been through a situation like this before. We feel very grateful to finally return to Malaysia safely," he said.
Meanwhile, Umrah guide (Mutawif) Shaifuddin Hashim, 63, who was stranded in Jeddah, expressed relief after arriving home safely. He noted that his original flight was scheduled to depart on March 1, but he was informed of the delay as soon as they arrived at the Jeddah airport.
"Alhamdulillah, the accommodation was comfortable and food was provided. We just waited until we were informed that the flight on March 5 was confirmed," he said.
According to him, the atmosphere in Jeddah at the time appeared normal without any signs of panic. "Throughout the four days we were there, things proceeded as usual. People were seen carrying out their daily activities as normal," he added. - Bernama
