Latest news with #QatarAirspace
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
'Most intense flight ever': UAE residents reflect on Gulf airspace closure
UAE residents have reflected on a night of major travel disruption after several flights were rerouted following Iran's thwarted attack on Qatar's US airbase at Al Udeid. Dozens of planes heading for Doha were rerouted, with Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam and Dubai among the affected destinations, as Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait closed their respective airspace. A passenger on board an Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai on Monday evening described the moment the plane he was on had to be rerouted in mid-air. He said the 15-hour journey turned into a near 19-hour ordeal imbued with confusion, speculation and visible panic among passengers. Tense situation Fakhr-e-Alam, a Pakistani singer, actor and licensed pilot who has lived in Dubai for 21 years, was on Flight EK226, an A380 passenger jet, when the situation unfolded. 'Everything was fine,' he told The National. "I was monitoring the flight status on the in-flight TV and saw 50 minutes to destination, so I started to prepare for landing. 'A few minutes later I heard the engines spooled up and since I am a pilot myself, I found that odd because we were close to Dubai and should have been in a descent.' He noticed the estimated arrival time on the in-flight map had jumped from 50 minutes to nearly two more hours. 'Since I was connected online, I immediately scanned the news feeds and X to find out Qatar had closed its airspace," he said. "I had another friend of mine on a different seat, so I went and told him the situation was tense.' The two made their way to the aircraft's lounge to speak to the cabin crew. 'The crew was extremely calm and very professional. They said they would let us know when they heard from the captain.' As the plane began circling over Riyadh, passengers were left guessing what would happen next. Mr Alam, who remained online and in touch with some of his aviation contacts, tried to gather more information as the regional crisis escalated. 'Then the captain came over the PA and informed us we were awaiting instructions from the company. He sounded very reassuring.' Meanwhile, passengers began watching news broadcasts on the in-flight screens, showing the attacks unfolding. 'The news was not pretty, as one airspace after another was closing down," Mr Alam added. "All passengers were watching these events on the screens in horror and shock.' He described emotional scenes in the cabin. 'A mother held her infant tightly and had tears running from her eyes. An American couple were extremely worried and emotional.' Mr Alam said he was increasingly concerned about fuel levels, given the long-haul nature of the flight and the additional time already spent in the air. After several hours of circling and mounting speculation, the crew announced that a new air corridor had opened and Dubai International Airport had resumed operations. 'So after another hour and 20 minutes, I saw the Dubai skyline and lights, and we landed safely,' he said. Mr Alam said the professionalism of the Emirates crew and calm response of the UAE authorities helped to manage what could have turned into a far more chaotic situation. 'Imagine flying 15 hours from the other side of the planet and just before landing you are diverted without any clarity as to what happens next, and stay up in the air for almost four extra hours. 'I am a frequent flyer and have been for over two decades. This was by far was the most intense flight I have ever experienced.' Keeping families apart Faisal Al Mutairi, a Saudi-American business owner who has lived in Dubai for 10 years, reflected on the disappointment he felt in finding out he would not be reunited with his wife and family. "I had just taken off from Berlin, heading to Dubai," he said. "I didn't know it happened but for a couple of hours I had been trying to get internet on board, as I wanted to see if something was happening, but it wasn't working. "Then the pilot told us, just as we were reaching Turkey, that we were turning back to Berlin and there had been an issue at the airport. I was so upset, as I was going back home to my wife and two kids. It was such a stressful moment not knowing what was happening, what was going to happen and not being able to be there to protect my family." Mr Al Mutairi had to make his way back into the city of Berlin at midnight and find a hotel, because the airline office had closed by the time his flight landed. "Now I have a flight booked to come back to Dubai this evening but at this point I've no idea if it will be cancelled or if we'll turn back mid-air again. Hopefully it won't come to that." Looking ahead Omar Abduljabar, 43, from Iraq, told The National he had been planning a visit to Istanbul next week with his family but is now thinking about cancelling. 'After the closing of airspace in some countries and the tension in the area, I'm rethinking to cancel the trip,' Mr Abduljabar said. He had been hoping to enjoy a 10-day holiday with his wife and two children, before returning back to his government job in Dubai. 'I'm afraid about something happening, then I couldn't return to Dubai,' he added. "I've heard stories about people getting stuck in different countries in the last 12 days because of the war. 'I emailed the airline to see if I could cancel the tickets or maybe push my flights to the end of July, until things are clearer.' Iran's attempt to attack the US's Al Udeid base - in pictures
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Virgin offers refunds to Middle East travellers as its lists on ASX
News of the temporary closure of Qatar's airspace threatened to overshadow Virgin's float on ASX, with the airline's boss offering customers the option to change or cancel for a refund if they are not comfortable travelling.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Americans in Qatar told to shelter in place and airspace shut down as Iranian military threatens action
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar told Americans to shelter in place until further notice Monday and Qatar temporarily closed its airspace following the weekend's attacks on Iran. "The competent Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace, in order to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors," Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it would "not hesitate to take all necessary preventive measures within this context." The ministry promised to update the public as developments arise. The embassy said it made the recommendation "out of an abundance of caution" but provided no other details. Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base, where approximately 10,000 U.S. soldiers are deployed. The United Kingdom's Qatar embassy issued a similar warning after the U.S. The advisory came after the State Department issued a warning to American citizens on Sunday. "There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution." Iran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. after American B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites. "The criminal US must know that in addition to punishing its illegitimate and aggressive offspring, the hands of Islam's fighters within the armed forces have been freed to take any action against its interests and military, and we will never back down in this regard," Abdolrahim Mousavi, the new chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, warned in a statement. Qatar's foreign affairs spokesperson said the "advisory from a number of embassies to their citizens do not reflect the existence of specific threats." "The security situation in the country is stable," the statement said, adding, "the relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors." Qatar has struck a delicate balance between friendly relations with its neighbor Iran and the West. Some 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed across the Middle East. While Iran is largely expected to launch a counterattack to the weekend's bombings, Israeli strikes have taken out Iran's missile launchers and depleted its stock of medium-range missiles. The U.S. homeland, meanwhile, is under a "heightened threat environment" following the weekend's strikes, including "low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks."
Skift
5 days ago
- Politics
- Skift
Qatar Closes Airspace as Regional Crisis Grows
As a crisis in the Middle East intensifies, Qatar — which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region — is temporarily closing its airspace. Qatar is temporarily closing its airspace amid Iranian threats of retaliation against the U.S. to 'ensure the safety of citizens, residents and visitors,' the country's foreign ministry account posted on X on Monday. At the time Qatar announced the airspace closure, there were 100 flights bound for Doha, according to Flightradar24. Iranian and Israeli airspace had been closed since last week as attacks between the countries intensified.
