Millions of travelers have been stranded since the start of the war with Iran.
A Martinez, Host:
The war between Israel and the US and Iran has closed airports across the Middle East. Millions of passengers are struggling due to flight cancellations.
Leela Fadel, Host:
One of them was Oliver Sims IV. He was returning to Dallas after a trip to India for marriage. Their connecting flight took off via Doha, Qatar, but not for long.
Oliver Sims IV: I got a notification on my phone that the United States and Israel have launched strikes on Iran. And then about 30 minutes later, the captain came on the loudspeaker and said that we had to return to Doha because of some military clashes and the airspace was blocked.
FADEL: His flight is one of many that leave Doha.
MARTENEZ: Sarah Gaither(ph) found herself in a similar situation and described the scene to us at the Doha airport.
Sarah Gaither: A lot of flights were deboarded and the airport filled up very quickly. We all sat with zero update for too long. And as frustrated people are with airlines, they should remember that it’s not just our airline. The entire Middle East is facing this problem.
Fadel: Henry Harteveldt is an airline industry analyst with the Atmospheric Research Group. They say that the airports in Doha and Dubai are the biggest airports in the world.
Henry Harteveld: Major airlines such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar operate worldwide route networks. So these disturbances are felt almost everywhere in the world.
MARTENEZ: When NPR spoke with Sims and Gaither on Sunday, they were safe in hotel rooms. Even so, Sims expressed concern about the missiles aimed at Qatar.
The Sims IV: I’m so afraid of where I am. I thought I was going home now, and I didn’t think there was going to be any kind of military strike, even when I was in the air, back in the US.
FADEL: Gaither told us she’s doing her best not to worry her family.
Gaither: Last night, I was on the phone with my mom chatting about what was going on in Dallas and stuff, and I heard all the missiles went off, and I had to go. Like, the missiles are going off. Like, I’ll talk to you soon. And that really freaked her out a bit.
FADEL: Last we spoke, both Gaither and Sims were waiting to hear when the airspace might reopen so they could resume their journey.
(Julia Kent’s “Gardermon” soundbite)
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