Indians Stranded in UAE Rush to Dubai Airport as Limited Flights to India Resume
All roads now lead to Dubai International Airport as hundreds of Indians stuck in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have started heading towards the city following the resumption of limited scheduled flights from there to multiple cities in India since Wednesday night. This development comes amid heightened tensions in the region, including conflicts such as the Israel-Iran war, which have disrupted travel and caused widespread anxiety among expatriates and tourists.
Personal Stories of Stranded Travelers
Upasana Sinha, a techie from New Town in Kolkata, shared her ordeal. "We were staying at a hotel in Abu Dhabi since Sunday after we were caught in the war-like situation. I was scheduled to fly to Kolkata on March 4, but that flight was cancelled. Now that flight movement slowly resumed, I drove from Abu Dhabi to Dubai on Thursday and am putting up with a friend near the airport. I booked a ticket on March 8, hoping that flight would operate according to schedule," she said.
Bamapada Ganguly, a 63-year-old owner of a private tour company, has been stuck in a Dubai hotel since March 2 with his 19 clients. After three cancellations of rescheduled Emirates flights, he is set to board a FlyDubai flight to Kochi on Thursday. "The next Emirates rescheduled flight will be on March 8, but as we are all worried and no one wants to stay here, we all spent extra on tickets in a rerouted way. Once we land in Kochi, we will take a connecting flight to Kolkata," Ganguly explained.
Challenges Faced by Stranded Individuals
Sanjukta Roy, a 30-year-old resident of Maniktala who traveled to the UAE with her elderly parents, is also in Dubai, spending sleepless nights at a hotel. Their scheduled return on March 1 was cancelled and rescheduled to March 7, Saturday. "The hotel authority tried to charge almost triple the rate during our extended stay. And we even booked three fresh tickets on Emirates Airlines for March 4. But they were cancelled too," Roy lamented.
The situation has taken a toll on health and finances. Saroj Kumar Datta, a 74-year-old retired bank employee, turned restless and fainted after hearing that his rescheduled flight on March 3 had been cancelled. He was accompanied by his wife, who is also a senior citizen. Premdhar Mondal, a 75-year-old former professor of physics from Purulia, suffered from acute anxiety. "I have only a few heart and blood-pressure medicines left for my daily consumption," said Mondal, adding that medicine prices in Dubai are 500% to 3,000% higher than in India.
Impact of Regional Conflicts on Daily Life
For Kolkata couple Ankana Sadhukhan and S M Mehdi Hasan, both 33 and living in a high-rise on the Dubai–Sharjah border, the past few days have been deeply unsettling. The couple, who moved to the UAE in 2021 and have a one-year-old son, said their peaceful life suddenly turned into a nightmare when they heard missiles and drones for the first time last week.
"Since then, there have been frequent interception sounds and vibrations after missile strikes. Emergency alerts on phones warning us about possible attacks and advising us to seek shelter away from doors and windows are a common thing. Nights have become the most stressful, as many strikes occur after dark," said Ankana, a Tollygunge native, adding that they often stay awake at night, fearing they might miss an alert.
The resumption of flights offers a glimmer of hope, but travelers remain cautious, with many opting for rerouted journeys and incurring extra costs to ensure a safe return home. The ongoing regional instability continues to cast a shadow over travel plans, highlighting the urgent need for stable and reliable evacuation options for Indians abroad.
