Israel-Iran conflict: UAE families spend thousands to return from CIS countries
UAE families stranded in CIS countries pay over Dh6,000 for rerouted flights via Istanbul, Doha, and Delhi amid Israel-Iran conflict flight cancellations (Image generated by AI for illustrative and creative purposes only)
As regional tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into a four-day exchange of missile and drone strikes, UAE expatriates holidaying in several Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, found themselves scrambling to return home, often at exorbitant costs.
Following the outbreak of conflict, which began with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and escalated into retaliatory attacks that killed three in Israel, several airlines either suspended or rerouted flights across affected airspace. This has left many travellers stranded or forced to secure alternative, often indirect and expensive, flight options.
Families Caught Off Guard and Facing Financial Strain
Limnaz Musthafa, a long-time UAE resident working in Sharjah's facility management sector, had sent his family on their first-ever trip to Baku, Azerbaijan. They arrived on June 12 via Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, but by June 13, just a day later, news of an
Air India
crash and intensifying conflict led to rapid flight closures.
'If I knew this would happen, I would've cancelled their trip,' Limnaz Musthafa told
Gulf News
, adding that he has been a UAE resident since 1986.
By June 15, all return flights were cancelled. His six-member family, including an infant, was forced to book new tickets with Turkish Airlines for at least Dh6,000($1,635), in addition to the original Dh3,800($1,035) they had already spent.
'The fear is there, due to the political situation our safety is compromised,' he told Gulf News from Baku, adding that airfares had 'skyrocketed.'
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Similarly, Kamarudheen Arakkal, 43, faced stress when his son Rayan, a 25-year-old student in Birmingham, was stranded in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, after attending a football camp. Scheduled to return last Friday, the sudden closures meant his father had to secure a new flight via Qatar.
'This caught us by surprise,' said Arakkal.
The new ticket cost $1,000 (approximately Dh3,670), more than seven times the original Dh500 ticket.
Travel Agents Respond to Sudden Demand for Rerouting
UAE-based travel agencies are working around the clock to rebook affected passengers using longer but safer routes. Raheesh Babu, Chief Operating Officer of Musafir.com, speaking to Gulf News, confirmed that travellers were turning to multi-leg flights via Istanbul or Doha to bypass closed or dangerous airspace.
'People were caught off-guard,' said Babu, noting that the post-Eid travel boom to CIS countries due to affordable fares contributed to the scale of the issue.
According to Babu, about 20 Musafir.com customers are currently booking alternative routes out of affected CIS regions.
Afi Ahmad, Chairman of Smart Travels, said that most impacted tourists are stranded in Armenia and Azerbaijan, with others affected in Iran. Fortunately, he noted, the number of travellers returning immediately after Eid was not overwhelming due to a general dip in demand.
'Unless it is an emergency, people don't want to travel,' said Ahmad, highlighting the financial and emotional stress among stranded passengers.
In one example shared by travel agents, a family managed to return to the UAE from Azerbaijan via Delhi, a longer and more expensive alternative.
Airlines Adjust Routes, Travellers Worry Ahead of Summer Break
Despite the immediate disruptions, analysts say mass cancellations are not inevitable, provided airlines continue to find viable rerouting options.
Saj Ahmad, Chief Analyst at StrategicAero Research, said that although a degree of reluctance to fly is expected, it may be balanced by broader geographic travel options and rerouting capabilities.
GCC airlines, including Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai, and Air Arabia, can reroute westbound flights to Europe and North America via Egypt and the Mediterranean, and eastbound flights over Oman to the Arabian Sea. However, these detours can significantly increase travel time.
Geopolitical Background: Conflict Escalates in the Middle East
The urgency and confusion stem from an escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran. Over a four-day period, Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting a retaliatory barrage of missiles and drones from Iran that killed three people in central Israel, including in Tel Aviv.
Israel responded with a series of mass airstrikes, which, according to international reports, resulted in the deaths of several senior scientists and military generals within Iran.
This violent exchange has ignited fears of a wider regional conflict and triggered urgent travel alerts and advisories from the UAE,
Saudi Arabia
, and other GCC nations.
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