NUS students, staff stranded in S. Africa after field trip amid Middle East flight disruptions
Wong Man Shun and Calista Wong
The Straits Times
March 4, 2026
A group of about 30 students and teaching staff from the National University of Singapore were left stranded in Johannesburg, South Africa, amid the conflict in the Middle East.
The group had gone to Kenya on Feb 20 for a field studies trip, according to the parent of a student who is part of the group.
The group's return trip, which was originally scheduled for March 2 via Doha in Qatar, was affected by the recent developments in the Middle East.
The group left Nairobi in Kenya and travelled to Johannesburg in South Africa on March 3 after travel agency FCM secured tickets for a flight back to Singapore through Ethiopia and Mumbai, India. However, the group was unable to board the flight due to ticketing issues and were stranded in Johannesburg.
FCM then secured tickets for Ethiopian Airlines' Flight ET638 to Singapore, and the group is expected to arrive here at 2.50pm on March 5.
FCM provided the group with accommodation at an airport hotel while waiting for the flight.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, NUS' Department of Geography head David Taylor, who is leading the field trip, said: "When we were informed that our return trip originally scheduled for March 2 would be affected by developments in the Middle East, we immediately started exploring alternative options to get home safely."
Professor Taylor added that the group is "safe and in good spirits, and we look forward to coming home tomorrow".
A spokesperson for NUS' Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences said it has been in close communication with the group, adding that it is grateful for the assistance and support of "all parties involved".
"The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our priority," added the spokesperson.
According to global flight-tracking service Flightradar24, Flight ET638 is set to depart from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia at 12.10am local time (5.10am Singapore time) on March 5 and reach Singapore at 2.50pm on the same day.
Several countries in the Middle East, including Qatar, closed their airspace after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb 28.
Multiple airlines have announced widespread cancellations in what is currently the biggest disruption to global air transport since the Covid-19 pandemic.
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