[Editor’s Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
When Anna Ivanova-Galitsina was preparing to fly from Dubai to Dublin on March 3, she did not expect her travel plans to be disrupted so suddenly. Like many travellers in the region, her flight was affected by recent airspace closures caused by the US-Israel-Iran war, and airlines were cancelling or delaying flights. While Anna’s trip didn’t go as planned, she said the refund process was quick, and the support she received at Dubai International Airport made a strong impression on her.
Anna, founder of Ivanova Galitsina PR Management, said she received a message from Emirates about the cancellation. “I was supposed to fly to Dublin on March 3, but Emirates sent a message saying the flight was cancelled and asked passengers not to come to the airport,” she said.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp channels.
At first, Anna tried to reschedule her flight but found it hard because many passengers were trying to change their plans as well.
“There was no option to change the date of the flight on the website. It could only be done through the call centre, but the lines were extremely busy, and calls were dropping,” she said.
She chose to cancel her ticket and ask for a refund. After the cancellation was confirmed, she got a certificate for the cancelled flight, which let her submit the refund request online. “It was very easy to fill out the refund form on the Emirates website,” she said.
The airline told her the refund might take up to 15 working days, but she got the money back much sooner. “I received the refund within five days. I was really grateful that the process was so easy and fast,” she added.
The recent disruptions were caused by temporary airspace closures in parts of the region following US-Israel attack on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on US assets in the Gulf. This led to flight cancellations and delays. Airlines have since been gradually restoring operations, with carriers adjusting schedules and adding flights on some routes to clear the backlog of passengers.
Anna said passengers weren’t sure if their flights would leave on time. “Until I got on the plane, I didn’t know if it would actually take off because the screen didn’t show ‘go to gate’ for a long time,” she said.
Despite the uncertainty, Anna said airport staff were easy to spot throughout the terminal, helping passengers find their way. “There were many more staff than usual. They approached almost every traveller, asking about their flight, checking boarding passes, and directing people where to go,” she said.
Similarly, another Dubai resident, Abdul Rahman, who planned to visit his family in Bengaluru, also cancelled his travel plans.
“I had booked a short trip to see my parents, but after hearing about the disruptions and seeing flights cancelled, I decided not to take the risk,” he said.
Rahman said he cancelled the ticket online and received the refund within about a week. “The cancellation process was quite smooth, and the refund came through quickly,” he said.
Other travellers who planned to travel during that time said they chose to postpone their trips because of the uncertainty. Mohammed Shafiq, a sales executive based in Dubai, said he planned to travel to Bengaluru for his annual vacation but decided to delay it.
“I was supposed to fly to Bengaluru on Emirates for my annual leave, but with all the uncertainty about flights and airspace, I thought it was better to postpone the trip,” he said.
“I tried calling customer service twice and waited almost three hours each time, but I couldn’t get through because of the high call volume,” said Shafiq.
Shafiq went to the Emirates office near Clock Tower and postponed his travel to April.
“I waited in line for about 30 to 40 minutes, but when it was my turn, the staff postponed my travel to April in just five to ten minutes,” he said. “The process was really quick once I got to the counter.”
As airlines slowly restore schedules and expand flights, travel agents say passenger movement should stabilise in the next few days as normal services return across the region.
