British couple on Dubai flight wake up to ‘horror’ missile alert afte
Source: Daily Star – World News
EXCLUSIVE: Ruby Croxford was on her way to 10 days of relaxation in a luxury hotel in Dubai, but her holiday quickly descended into mayhem before she even stepped foot in the UAE after the US-Iran attack
A British couple recalled the horror moment they discovered their Dubai-bound flight was caught up in Trump’s ‘history-setting’ bombardment on Iran.
Ruby Tuesday-Croxford,24, from Hampshire, was gearing up for a much-deserved relaxing break to the luxury Dukes The Palm hotel, located on the Palm Jumeirah, with partner Jack.
The young couple boarded their British Airways flight on Saturday evening (21 June), completely unaware that their dream £2,500 getaway could have quickly escalated into a living nightmare after Trump issued an attack on Iranian nuclear bases.
Ruby and her partner were travelling on a seven-hour ‘red eye’ flight to the Middle East destination when they woke at 2am (UK) and noticed they were “stuck” over Cairo, Egypt.
The pair thought it was simply a “glitch” on the integrated screen, yet they were horrified to find out the truth of their off-track location.
Not realising the severe geo-political situation developing elsewhere – and close by – in the sky, the couple went back off to sleep only to wake to a disturbing announcement from the captain.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star, Ruby said: “Just before 5am we woke up to a captain announcement.
“We thought we were coming into land but he told that that the USA had attacked Iran overnight and the air traffic control and I think national security had come to a tough decision and, for our own safety, we had to turn around.
“He apologised and said that our safety was our main priority, that Saudi Arabia had shut their airspace and unfortunately we had to return back to the UK.
“However, we didn’t have enough fuel to get back to the UK so we were diverted to Switzerland.
“We were completely shocked of the events and didn’t actually know what had happened until we connected to the WiFi on the plane and told our family. They [our family] explained everything and told us to come straight home and not get back on a flight to Dubai.”
Ruby said that the British Airways cabin crew were not fully aware of the horrific situation unfolding in the sky, but praised them for being “calm and very attentive” and “takes her hat off” to the staff who had to deal with customers “moaning” about something that was “fully out of their control.”
Ruby and Jack’s flight then had to land in Zurich, Switzerland, as the plane did not have enough fuel to get back to Heathrow.
British Airways automatically put Ruby and Jack on another Dubai flight, flying from Athens. But, after chatting to their families, who were first to tell Ruby exactly what had Trump had done, the pair decided to come home.
But, their ordeal didn’t stop there. They had to wait for another crew to be flown out to Switzerland as the staff on the original flight would have exceeded their working hours.
Ruby claimed that people were “panicking” and “arguing” with airline staff, after passengers were trying to get to Dubai – despite the UAE closing the airspace.
The flight from Zurich to London Heathrow was delayed by 30 minutes due to “technical issues”, and were then given a £10 voucher by British Airways once back on UK turf to spend on food and drink.
She then shared her ordeal on TikTok, where the video has amassed over 300,000 views and comments from users saying that they landed in the best possible country if WW3 kicked off.
Although their 10-day retreat abroad got off to a nightmarish start, Ruby realises that the situation could have been a lot worse and is just thankful for the safety of herself and Jack.
They managed to claim a full-refund from travel agency Love Holidays, who they booked the trip with, within 30-minutes of landing in Switzerland. However, have lost a small amount spent on pre-booked activities in Dubai.
After being aided by “attentive” British Airways staff and getting back to the UK, the young couple will be attempting to enjoy some time away in Tenerife today (Tuesday 24).
Despite the UAE (Dubai) airspace having opened back up, Ruby decided that she doesn’t want to risk another flight to Dubai anytime soon.
She concluded: “We won’t be returning to Dubai anytime soon, we want to wait until everything has calmed down and settled. We are flying out to Tenerife instead today.”
According to the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), there is a “possibility of travel disruption, including short-notice airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights, and other unanticipated travel impacts” due to the “ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran.”
The official UK government site continued that the situation has “the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning including since US military strikes against Iran on 22 June.”
For those who are planning to travel to the UAE or any of the other relevant Middle Eastern nations affected by the conflict, or geographically close to it, then the FCDO advises:
- Read the FCDO’s advice on if you’re affected by a crisis abroad
- Monitor local and international media for the latest information
- Be vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities, avoiding all but essential travel to military bases
- Check with relevant airlines for the latest updates before travelling
The original article: belongs to Daily Star – World News .
