'So glad he's safe': Families welcome flights from Middle East bringing Singaporeans home
Fatimah Mujibah, Esther Loi and Aqil Hamzah
The Straits Times
March 5, 2026
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.
Many travellers had scrambled to book the limited plane tickets on offer 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 will 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 returning 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 still 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 – told The Straits Times that they were glad to be home.
"I was so happy when we took off," said Mr Anil George, a technology manager who had also been slated to return on Feb 28. But that flight was cancelled, he said, adding it was a "big relief" that he managed to secure a ticket home.
Business owner Anabelle Lim, who flew to Dubai on Feb 19 and returned on the same flight, added: "The first thing I'm going to do is sleep. My nervous system has been up the whole time. Nothing beats the feeling of touching down safely at home after being in a war zone."
The travel chaos began after the United States and Israel's attack on Iran on Feb 28, which resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders. Tehran responded by striking the US' Gulf allies and targeting infrastructure such as airports and luxury hotels.
Israel, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq closed their airspace, causing widespread flight cancellations and leaving thousands of travellers stranded as the Middle East is a major travel hub between Europe and Asia.
At Changi Airport, five other flights scheduled to arrive from Doha and Qatar on March 5 were cancelled. They were QR942, QR048, QR944, EK348, and EK354.
Some Singaporeans in the Middle East, such as Mr Muhammad Hafiz Noorahman, managed to find their way home after an extended journey.
The Mercy Relief board member had been doing volunteer work at refugee camps in the West Bank. To get back to Singapore, he travelled to Amman in Jordan through land checkpoints. Then he flew to Istanbul, where he booked a Turkish Airlines ticket home.
At Changi Airport, he had a tearful reunion with his wife and teenage son.
Mr Muhammad Hafiz said he had goosebumps hearing the explosions from the missile strikes, adding that he was grateful for the guidance given by Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local organisations on the ground.
His wife added: "I'm so glad that he's safe. He travelled for a mission. I encourage him to do his work... and I leave it up to God."
At the departures area in Terminal 1, another set of passengers – equally relieved to be on the way home – were queueing to check in for their 10.30am flight to Dubai on EK315.
Real estate broker Saltanat Kydyralieva arrived in Singapore on holiday on Feb 28, shortly before airspaces were shut down.
The 43-year-old Dubai national said she was "happy" that she managed to change her booking to an earlier flight. She was initially scheduled to fly at 9.30pm, but later found out that there would be only one flight a day from Singapore to Dubai.
Singaporean Mandy Toh, a Dubai resident for 22 years, said she tried for three days to book tickets since her original flight on March 1 was cancelled, in what proved to be a "frustrating and disappointing" process.
The 52-year-old freelance photographer and stylist, who was back in Singapore for Chinese New Year, added that she was relieved to finally secure a seat on a plane back to Dubai, where she lives with her husband.
Her family is worried about her returning to the Middle East, said Ms Toh, adding that she also feels a little nervous herself.
She said: "I know I'm in safe hands. Emirates would not be flying if it is not safe, so I'm sure there's a safe corridor they're flying through."
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