Albertans stuck in Dubai as war in Middle East forces numerous airspace closures

A Calgary couple are stuck in Dubai amid a brewing war in the Middle East, and they’re not sure when they’ll be able to return to Canada.

It’s a nightmare situation for Bhawana Katyayan and her husband, who were on vacation and on their way home from India and the Maldives, taking a quick stop in Dubai. However, their flight home Saturday morning was cancelled by Emirates Airlines after the initial U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran.

Since then, Iran has reportedly launched over 540  bomb-carrying drones at the United Arab Emirates, according to the country’s defence ministry. They report that 35 of those drones made it through defence systems and struck locations in Dubai — including the airport, and the Fairmont Hotel.

Officials at Dubai International Airport — the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of the busiest in the world — said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.

“So it was very tense for us because I was looking at the news, and this is happening — attack is going on. All those things were so scary,” she told CityNews.

“I can hear like police going sometimes, ambulances going. So we don’t know what’s happening.”

Emirates airline suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Monday. Katyayan says she and her husband are lucky to have friends to stay with, as residents and visitors in Dubai have been told to shelter in place due to explosions and falling debris.

She adds that it’s a surreal feeling to be caught in the middle of a global conflict.

“In a safe place in Calgary, I just hear about wars going on, but I still cannot imagine myself as being stuck in the middle of war,” Katyayan said.

A sentiment echoed by their son Anagh in Calgary, who questions just how many Canadian families might be impacted by the flight disruptions in the Middle East.

“There’s so many immigrants who are citizens like my parents, who have family in Asia, and Dubai is such a major connection hub, so there’s so many people with families here who are travelling through Dubai all the time,” he said.

“So it’s really a matter of timing that caught my parents in this one.”

Baavna has been in touch with the Canadian embassy in Dubai,  and both she and her son have been in contact with Global Affairs Canada, but still have no indication of when they might be able to return to Canada.

Anagh says he’d like his parents to be able to return safely as soon as possible, but is happy that the situation isnt being rushed.

“It’s a warzone, you don’t know what could happen to a plane if it goes up in the air, so I’m glad that the authorities in the situation are exercising their best judgment, and trying to keep people safe,” he said.

The conflict has shut down airports and international airspace above Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

More than 1,800 flights were cancelled Sunday, including those in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt, and flight cancellations are expected to continue in the coming days.

Canada is warning people to avoid all travel to large swaths of the Middle East since the conflict began Saturday, including Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iran, Syria and Yemen.

Canadians are warned to avoid non-essential travel to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

With files from The Canadian Press