A Palestinian-origin Qatar resident’s six-day trip to India has turned into an indefinite ordeal as he remains stranded in Gujarat following the massive escalation in the Middle East. His return to Qatar was halted after the US and Israel strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, leading to the shutdown of Gulf airspaces. Trapped by the sudden escalation, the businessman is desperate to return to his family in Qatar.
“A stranded passenger says, "I am from Palestine originally, have a residency permit in Qatar. I came here for 6 days, on a business trip on February 22nd. I was supposed to fly back to Qatar, but due to the situation in the Gulf countries and the Middle East, my flight was cancelled and I am stuck in India... My family is in Qatar right now and I need to fly back,” the man told ANI.
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Is Middle East airspace still closed?
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Though a limited number of flights have been able to leave the United Arab Emirates, thousands of flights have been cancelled across the region, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24. It has affected thousands of passengers.
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Though a limited number of flights have been able to leave the United Arab Emirates, thousands of flights have been cancelled across the region, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24. It has affected thousands of passengers.
According to a BBC report on March 2, 79% of global flights to Qatar and 71% of flights to the United Arab Emirates were cancelled. Several flights to Israel and Bahrain were also grounded.
Amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, India has also witnessed significant disruption to its international operations.
Trisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience.
Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.
