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Israel-Iran conflict: UAE residents' summer travel plans affected due to flight cancellations
[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict.]
As tensions rise between Iran and Israel, several flights between the UAE and countries in the Middle East, including Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and others, have been cancelled. This disruption is affecting many residents who had planned to travel during the school summer holidays, which begin in early July.
Ola Salim, a 44-year-old housewife from Abu Dhabi and originally from Jordan, is extremely concerned about her father-in-law who is due to fly back to Amman.
'His Jordanian residency visa expires on June 15, if he doesn't enter the country, he might not be able to renew,' she said. Her father-in-law, a Palestinian who holds Lebanese documentation, has had Jordanian residency for many years, granted through his late Jordanian wife.
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'We are really worried what would happen if he misses his entry tomorrow. We are waiting for my husband to come back in the afternoon and call the airlines,' she added.
For others, the worry is about how long the disruption will last.
Sarah Ahmad, a 31-year-old Canadian citizen of Palestinian-Jordanian origin, flew to Amman last week to spend Eid with her family. She's scheduled to return to Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
'I'm flying back with Etihad; I came to Amman for one week only to spend Eid with the family,' said Sarah, who works as a marketing manager in the UAE.
She said she hasn't contacted the airline yet and hasn't received any notification about her flight status. 'I'm hoping that 'no message is a good message',' she joked.
'I'm staying at the family home — so thank God I don't need to worry about accommodation if I need to stay longer,' she added. But she is concerned about work. 'I don't have my work laptop on me. I'll see if I can work remotely through another device or extend my leave days.'
Some residents said the cancellations have turned their summer plans upside down, leaving their children disappointed and their families anxious.
For Samir Khoury, a 42-year-old Lebanese expat working in logistics in Dubai, the disruption hit just days before his family trip to Beirut.
'We were all packed and ready to go next week,' he said. 'The kids were so excited to see their grandparents. We haven't been to Lebanon since last summer. We have no idea as to how log will this disruption last.'
Now, Samir says the whole family is feeling disappointed and anxious. 'It's hard not knowing what will happen. We just want to be with family, especially during the summer holidays.'
Flight cancelled
For some residents, cancellations have left them heartbroken and helpless, especially those who haven't seen their loved ones in a long time.
Ali Reza, a 39-year-old Iranian sales executive living in Dubai, had planned to fly to Tehran on June 14, to visit his elderly parents, but his flight was cancelled earlier this week.
'I haven't seen my family in more than a year. I was counting down the days for this trip,' he said. 'Now, with the tensions and airspace issues, I don't know when I'll be able to go. I keep refreshing the airline's website, but there are no clear updates.'
