Families welcome S’poreans home as some Mid-East flights resume

The first travellers from Dubai trickled into Changi Airport on the morning of March 5, after days of flight cancellations caused by the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran closed airspaces across the Middle East.

- Fatimah Mujibah, Esther Loi, Aqil Hamzah and Isabelle Liew

Many travellers had scrambled to book the limited plane tickets available, and were greeted by family members who were relieved and overjoyed to see them return home.

“I was very worried during the past few days,” said Mr Shawn Sim, who was at the airport to meet his 63-year-old mother, Madam Law Chai Eng. “I was constantly checking on her every hour.”

Madam Law had been on holiday in Dubai with friends, and the group recounted their experience of seeing missiles flying overhead.

“They looked like fire rockets... We were so shocked and scared,” they said. “We knew war (had) officially started.”

Emirates and Etihad Airways said on March 4 that they would be resuming limited flights from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore.

In Facebook posts on the same day, the Singapore embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate-general in Dubai also advised returning Singaporeans to quickly secure tickets on the respective airlines' websites, given the high demand.

When The Straits Times arrived at Changi Airport's Terminal 1 arrival hall at 8am on March 5, many Singaporeans had gathered to wait for their family members.

Among them was Ms Geraldine Lin, who was there with her in laws to meet her husband.

Mr Carl Rajoo, an economist, had gone to Dubai for a business trip and was slated to return on Feb 28. But his return flight on Singapore Airlines was cancelled while he was on his way to the Dubai airport to catch his flight home, and he had to scramble to rebook a new flight.

Ms Lin, 43, who works in finance, said the experience was “definitely a bit traumatic”, but she is thankful that her husband is safe.

Having seen him only through video calls, Mr Rajoo’s mother added: “We are waiting anxiously to see his face.”

Passengers on Mr Rajoo’s Emirates flight - EK314 from Dubai, which landed at about 8.15am with close to 490 passengers on board - told ST that they were glad to be home.