British people are facing chaos as they try to travel back from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid widespread disruption to air travel in the Middle East.
Iran has hit the UAE and several of its neighbours with strikes in recent days, in response to attacks by US and Israeli forces.
The conflict has led to the grounding of flights and airspace above the Emirates was closed until some flights resumed on Monday. The disruption has left thousands of British people stranded.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper indicated that 102,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the region. She said a total of about 300,000 British citizens are in Gulf countries being targeted by Iran.
Britons are being advised to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the Foreign Office’s travel advice, which officials expect to change rapidly.
Nick Westwood, 62, a retired train driver from Barnham, West Sussex, and his wife Joanne, 61, a retired credit analyst, have been sleeping in the lobby of their high-rise rental while they wait to get home.
The couple, who are in Dubai for a “bucket-list” holiday, had planned to leave on Sunday, but have had to extend their seven-day stay, paying an extra 400 AED (£81.00) per night.
Mr Westwood, whose 25th-floor accommodation is only available until Thursday, said: “It is very, very scary, very stressful and it’s just like being trapped in limbo.
“We have been sleeping down in the reception room of this building. We came back up to the room at 4am this morning and we got another four hours’ sleep.
“And as soon as we got up, there were more drone attacks straight over the building.”
The couple have been told that rebooking their flights back to the UK will cost them £6,000.
“It is just a waiting game really. It is getting dark here again now and this is when the [missiles] usually start.”
Emirates announced on Monday that some flights were set to resume, with priority given to customers with prior bookings, while Etihad Airways said its scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi will remain suspended until 2pm UAE time on Wednesday 4 March.
However, plenty of confusion remains for those trying to get home.
Adam had been in Dubai for a week-long holiday with his wife, since 25 February, and was due to fly home on 1 March.
“It was a perfect holiday. We loved everything about this city. And now it’s completely chaotic,” Adam, who asked to be identified by his first name only, told The Independent.
He said their biggest concern right now is not the missiles or drones, but their pet dog back home.
“We have a Terrier who gets a bit anxious when we’re not around. We’re honestly more worried about him than about what’s happening here.”
Emirates has provided them with accommodation at a Holiday Inn near the airport, but uncertainty over when they can fly home is adding to their stress.
“There’s no clear information about when flights will restart or when they can rebook us,” he said. “Every time we call the helpline, no one picks up. That’s frustrating. We don’t want to stay here indefinitely, especially if it looks like the situation might get worse.”
Ian, a company director from Doncaster, said he was travelling through Dubai on his way back from Sydney when his onward flight was cancelled on Sunday.
“It was sheer bad luck. I had originally been due to land in Dubai much earlier and catch my onward flight to Sydney before the crisis began”, he told The Independent.
“But a delay in my domestic connection in Mumbai pushed everything back.”
From Dubai, he had made a quick business trip to India and was scheduled to return to Dubai to catch his flight to Manchester.
Ian said he is now waiting to find a route home. “Had that flight not been delayed, I would have already left Dubai before all of this started”, he said.
“The airport is getting hit. A five-star hotel in Palm Jumeirah got hit. I will be more comfortable if I reach home at the earliest.”
“My wife is worried. She is watching all this unfold in real time on TV. All she wants me is to be back home.”
Matthew McGinn and Layla Hamood, from Liverpool, travelled to the UAE for their honeymoon, but told the BBC on Monday morning they have been confined to their hotel and its grounds.
Ms Hamood said: “‘It’s been terrifying to be honest. The bombing hasn’t stopped, we can hear the missiles and fighter jets. It’s been scary. We’ve literally been in our room all of yesterday.”
About what to do next, she added: “There’s not much information that’s been given. The staff have been told to carry on as normal, so as not to cause chaos and scare people.
“I don’t think there’s much information because nobody knows what to do.”
“We’re just in limbo. We don’t know what’s happening, how we can get home, what we need to do. We tried to register, like everyone else, on the government website. We just want to get home.”
Her husband said: “As soon as the airspace is open, we’re on the next flight home. It’s took [sic] the edge off it for us.”
“We just want to get back to the UK as soon as we can”, he added.
The disruption is not limited to those in Gulf states, however, as Dubai is an interchange for many airline routes.
Grounding of flights in Dubai meant that a number of routes that require a layover in the UAE were cancelled,
British national Margaret Khumalo, 54, has been visiting family in Zimbabwe, but her return flight from Harare to London via Dubai on Saturday was cancelled.
She remained stuck in Africa on Monday, with no Emirates flights operating on her route, she said.
Ms Khumalo, who is a nurse, said she is in “limbo” and is losing contracted work she was set to begin today.
She told The Independent: “Dubai is a big hub for all these flights from Africa to Europe. It's a big gateway for literally everyone and there's a lot of us that are stuck here.
“The British government is trying to see how they can get people back home, and I'm thinking no one's mentioned us [in Africa].”
Ms Khumalo said she feels “lucky” as she is able to stay with her family for the time being, but currently has no idea when she will be able to return to her home in Bexley, south London.
“I don't know who to contact for anything in terms of if there's going to be any repatriation, how far is it just from Dubai”, Ms Khumalo added.
“Because there are other people that were meant to go to Dubai that are still stuck in a lot of places.”
The Independent has contacted Emirates airline for comment.
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