Stranded Tourists Leave UAE On Repatriation Flights As Airports Resume Operations

2026-03-03 09:29:18

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) In the last three days, over 2,000 flights have been cancelled, and thousands of travelers were stranded both inside and outside the UAE

PUBLISHED: Mon 2 Mar 2026, 9:35 PM UPDATED: Mon 2 Mar 2026, 11:32 PM

By:
Nasreen Abdulla
SM Ayaz Zakir

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Several tourists stranded in the UAE were able to make their way home as airlines in the country partially restored services to operate repatriation flights. Emirates, Etihad and FlyDubai announced some flights which will operate today and tomorrow.

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Indian tourist Ravindra was among those on the first repatriation flights operated by Emirates to the Indian city of Bengaluru on Monday evening.

He had arrived in Dubai on February 24 along with a group of 30 people. The group was supposed to leave on Sunday, but his flight was cancelled due to the airspace closures.

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“I am waiting in queue to check in and get my boarding pass,” he told Khaleej Times.“We were a total of eight families in the tour group. Six of us traveled by Emirates and we were told by our tour agent in the afternoon that we could board a flight today. We rushed to the airport. Some of my fellow passengers have already checked-in.”

He added that he expected to be stranded for longer but were thankful that he and his family were able to get on this flight.

On Saturday, the UAE closed its airspace after a US-Israel-Iran conflict resulted in rising regional tensions. In the last three days, over 2,000 flights have been cancelled, and thousands of travelers were stranded both inside and outside the UAE. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi authorities have pledged support to stranded passengers.

'Made me feel safe'

Raj, a transit passenger travelling from the UK to Bengaluru, found himself stranded at Dubai International Airport after regional airspace closures disrupted onward flights. Having landed late on February 28 with six-hour transit, he ended up spending over a day in Dubai before authorities arranged hotel accommodation and assistance for affected passengers.

He was evacuated on Emirates flight EK500 to Mumbai on Monday evening.“I had only read about Dubai's hospitality online and in the news, but experiencing it myself was truly reassuring,” he said.“The city didn't just make me feel safe, but also it made me feel cared for at a time when everything felt uncertain. It definitely gave me a reason to come back again.”

Alternative routes

As some passengers waited for repatriation flights, others made use of alternative routes to get to their destinations. One Chinese passenger, like many others, decided to head to Oman where the airspace is still open.

The traveller, who did not wish to be named, was in Dubai for meetings and had to abruptly change his plans as regional tensions disrupted flights and airspace across the Gulf. With uncertainty growing, he joined an organised evacuation convoy arranged by a ride-hailing company that transported a small group of passengers by road to Muscat.

“We left early morning and travelled the entire day before reaching Oman late at night. It was exhausting, but I felt relieved once we arrived safely,” he said. "I have now booked the earliest available direct flight home and hope my journey back will proceed without further disruptions.”