After 3 days’ wait, 217 Tamils stranded in Dubai return to Chennai

Chennai: An Emirates Airlines passenger aircraft from Dubai, carrying 217 people stranded in Dubai for three days, arrived at Chennai International Airport in the early hours of Tuesday. The same plane, which was flown back to Dubai with 60 passengers, made an emergency turnaround as the airspace was closed again after tensions escalated.
After days of cancellation, UAE's aviation authorities allowed ‘exceptional flights' to a small number of destinations to help stranded passengers. After completing immigration and customs formalities, passengers exited the city airport around 3am.Family members and relatives of the passengers gathered in large numbers at the airport. Murugan from Arumandhai near Red Hills, who had gone to Saudi Arabia for work, said he was on his way back to Chennai when he got stuck at Dubai airport. "There were thousands of people, but the Dubai govt and airport authorities handled everything smoothly. All passengers were given food and accommodation," he said. Vignesh, a resident of Koyambedu, who travelled to Dubai on a holiday, said: "We reached Dubai airport on Saturday evening. But we were informed that our flight was cancelled. At the hotel, we were not allowed to step out, but we could hear warplanes flying and explosions at various places. We were frightened. The Emirates staff took good care of us. Thankfully, we have now safely returned to Chennai," he said. The same Emirates Airlines passenger flight, carrying 60 people, took off from Chennai to Dubai at 3.53am on Tuesday. However, after crossing Mumbai and while flying over the Arabian Sea at an altitude of approximately 38,000 feet, the pilot received information that Dubai airspace was closed again due to escalating war tensions. Following this, aircraft returned and landed safely at the airport at 7.20am today. All the passengers were accommodated in hotels in the city. It has been announced that the flight will depart again for Dubai once the airspace reopens. Meanwhile, at least 30 inbound and outbound flights were cancelled on Tuesday. According to data from the airport, multiple flights originating from key West Asian hubs—including Kuwait, Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi—were cancelled due to the ongoing geopolitical conflict. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !