Anyone else in Dubai on holiday? AIBU to be panicking with all the flights cancelled?

[tiantian1005]

Not sure when we can go home..anyone has managed to for example drive to nearby countries and fly from there?

I think you know what she means.

That's entirely different and you know it. You're being deliberately obtuse.

As a child we lived near an airbase in the north and we were used to hearing jets on manoeuvres but just before the second gulf war they ramped up significantly, at times they didn't normally fly at, far more of them and more frequently. It WAS worrying and unsettling as it was a clear indicator that they were preparing for trouble.

I live nowhere near an airport and not unsettled by normal aircraft noise either.

Looks like somebody left the hatch open on the Deliberately Provocative Edgelord tank too.

There's a nasty little subset of mumsnet posters who love to sneer at anyone who expresses perfectly legitimate concern and worry. If I was in dubai right now I'd be keeping my children calm and telling them we just need to stay put and safe until the planes are up and running again. I'd be prepping bags and making plans. And then privately I'd be losing my shit, terrified, obsessively consuming news and feeling a bubble of panic every time I heard a noise. Because that's a human reaction to unusual and scary events. But according to mumsnet that is sneer-worthy. I remember the same type of posters sneering at anyone who expressed a bit of concern about covid in the very early days of the pandemic. It's so condesending and mean spirited (and sometimes wrong).

@1dayatatime are you just ignorant or being deliberately obtuse? Because actually you are being pretty offensive.

I think it's a difference between Western and Iranian thinking due to asymmetric military capability and different values towards the regard to life of your own citizens.

The UK government wouldn't make a decision to shoot thousands of its own civilians peacefully protesting.

Given the Iranians have, I don't think it's a stretch to suggest they might locate strategic military targets under schools.

For info in the last week quite a few people in the UK living nowhere near airports reported hearing some F-22s going overhead at medium/high level..they are noisy and make quite a distinctive sound.

Absolutely. We know that their proxies do.

Interestedly, I live very near a major UK military airbase which is in contrast use with training flights. It is unusually very quiet at the moment, presumably non-essential flights are cancelled in readiness for military, repatriation or evacuation support.

@tiantian1005 and @MissAdvantage

My Aussie friends were en-route from Sydney-Singapore-Doha-London last July when they were caught up in the incident where the US military bases in the UAE were attacked and airspace closed.

She actually called me (whilst I was at the RA Summer art exhibition) in a panic as they couldn’t find any information online and couldn’t get through to the airline on the phone.

I suggested that they download the X App (formerly Twitter) and searching for their airline (Qatar) as it was showing the very latest information. Fortunately for her and her family Qatar Airlines had just updated a comment that airspace was now open and to check in as normal, so she was very relieved.

I would recommend anyone flying into and out of the Middle East to look up their airline on X (Twitter) or perhaps Blue Sky. Also search for posts from the Independent’s travel expert Simon Calder as he always seems to get travel information before almost anyone else!

Good Luck!

RAF base...?

Don't forget it's a weekend.....

Anyone stuck and having accommodation issues, Danube properties announced they might help on their instagram. Some others might follow suit so it's worth to watch

No idea what you mean but irans proxies have destroyed Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and iraq

That's pretty much what we did, living in lower Manhattan, on 9/11. Trying to reassure the kids while figuring out what was happening and next steps. The fighter jets overhead were terrifying. It's amazing how many armchair commenters know with certainty exactly how brave they'd be.

My heart goes out to anyone stuck in the midst of the this situation. Wishing you all home and safe as soon as possible.

I think it’s worth stating again to those people stuck in the region that local media (and also local social media) cannot be relied upon to give honest and accurate information on what is happening.
Use UK Govt sources such as the Foreign Office, UK TV channels (BBC, Channel 4) as your reference points.
Dubai/UAE media is very heavily censored. It’s already apparent - with inaccurate reports about debris rather missiles hitting buildings, number of casualties at the airports. They are keen to show the world that their security defences are fully in control.

That's interesting. I'm in the SE and nowhere near a flight path or an air base, but I heard some noisy planes last one day week.

I just thought it was a bit early to be practising for the annual air show that happens a few miles away...

Yes RAF, they are often busier here with training flights at the weekend.

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We live near an airbase in Wales. See and hear a lot. The other week was day and night. Locals are proud of our base. Those pilots and crew risk their lives just training.

If it's Brize you may be onto something, anywhere else TBH I'd not be sure.

I spent a few happy years at RAF stations wearing the light blue uniform and sometimes the local population would definitely misread what was or wasn't going on inside the wire.

Yes it is Brize. We’re on their usual flight path for landing. We’ve not seen or heard one flight today.

The UAE govt is covering expenses of stranded travellers. www.dubaieye1038.com/news/local/uae-covers-all-expenses-for-affected-passengers-amid-flight-disruptions/

RAF bases are usually busier at this time of year to use up training budgets and training for summer displays. It’s not necessarily related to any world events.

The UK has overland routes out of the UAE and has done for decades.

Dual citizens need to be aware of last weeks legislative changes for entering the UK as people have been turned away from flights to the UK. Those of us in the UK should be raising a pause in this legislation in case evacuations are needed so there are no delays for people.

Evacuations can be chaotic and quick paced so grab bags and copies of important documents plus cash access are essential. Also people should be prepared they may be flown to places away from home including other countries and families may be separated as well.

That’s not actually what it says. Also, you can’t trust what is reported by UAE news outlets. It’s just propaganda