More than a thousand flights cancelled, airspaces closed: Celebs, along with passengers, stranded in Dubai

Following multiple waves of Iranian attacks, targeting airports, iconic buildings and residential areas, over a thousand flights have been cancelled across the Middle East Region. International media also reports that hundreds of thousands of travellers are stranded in various airports. According to airline industry analysts, flyers should be prepared for days of delays and cancellations this week, as the situation could escalate. Globally, more than 18,000 flights have been delayed, and around 2,350 have been cancelled since yesterday, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. Ticket prices are also expected increase in the coming days, analysts say. India's Civil Aviation Ministry said that around 444 flights from the country is also expected to be cancelled today. 

Locations hit 
The places hit in the UAE include Dubai International Airport, the iconic Burj Al Arab, the world's third-tallest hotel; the Palm Jumeirah; the area near the Fairmont Dubai hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road; Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport; Jebel Ali Port; and various residential areas. Various spots in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan have also reported explosions and interceptions of drones and missiles. 

Accommodation, sustenance for stranded passengers
The UAE's General Authority of Civil Aviation has announced that the state will bear all costs of accommodation and sustenance for affected and stranded passengers, as the country's airports and national carriers have handled approximately 20,200 passengers impacted by the rescheduling of some flights. Temporary accommodation has been provided, along with meals and beverages, and rebooking procedures have been facilitated in accordance with the approved operational plans, it said.  Various other airports have also announced that they have set up helpdesks and similar facilities for passengers. 

Airspaces closed
The UAE, Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain have closed their airspaces. This has resulted in severe disruptions and is expected to intensify in the coming days, as more countries may follow suit. Numerous airlines have also cancelled and diverted flights. Across India too, several passengers travelling to the Middle East are stranded at airports in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, and Cochin.  

PV Sindhu, more celebs, stranded in Dubai
Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu, who was on her way to the All England badminton tournament, is among those stranded in the Dubai airport. The tournament is scheduled to start on March 3. On her social media page, Sindhu said she has been moved to a secure place and is waiting for the developments to settle. Her coach had to run for a safe area after an explosion near where they were at the airport, she explains. "Situation is becoming more frightening by the hour," she said on her page. 

Kerala Singer Biju Narayanan is also stuck in Dubai, as per reports. Apparently, the situation worsened after he completed the immigration procedures and boarded the flight. Many, including him, had to stay on the flight for around 2 hours and were later moved to a hotel in Sharjah. Actors Sonal Chauhal, Vicky Pattison, Laura Anderson, Luisa Zissman, and Hofit Golan are among the other celebs stuck in Dubai. 
'Dubai' has more than 200K search volume on Google Trends in the past 18 hours. 
(With PTI inputs)