12 hours ago
Passengers describe chaos, fear after landing in Miami from Qatar amid missile tensions
A flight from Qatar, where a U.S. military base was recently targeted in a missile strike by Iran, landed safely in Miami Tuesday night, bringing with it stories of anxiety, delays and relief from passengers caught in the middle of rising global tensions.
CBS News Miami spoke with travelers who were on board the flight, many of whom described a chaotic experience at the Qatar airport, just days after the missile attack.
"I did not want to go to Doha"
For Kenisha Fleming, the journey home was long and more stressful than expected.
"Apparently, they didn't have any other routes that they could send me to, so everyone just had to go to Doha," Fleming said.
Fleming had been visiting Zanzibar when she learned her return flight to the U.S. would include a stopover in Qatar. That news came shortly after Iran launched missiles at an American military base in the country.
"I got to Qatar from Zanzibar. We had a delay in Zanzibar because they had to make sure the airspace was safe and then once we got to Qatar, we were just sitting. When we first got off the plane, there were so many transfers at the counter because they had canceled a lot of flights," she said.
"I was scared; I did not want to go to Doha," she added.
Families reunited at MIA
At Miami International Airport, passengers reunited with loved ones after the tense journey. Many, like Carlo Wamelda, described a hectic scene at the Qatar airport.
"It was like chaos inside the airport, a lot of canceled and delayed flights, so we had to wait a while," Wamelda said.
The future of the conflict between Iran and Israel remains uncertain, but those who returned to Miami Tuesday night said they are holding on to hope.
"I pray that everyone is safe, I pray that this ends soon and I just, you know, pray for the best," said Fleming.
