A 12-year-old British boy who spent three nights stranded in Dubai airport has finally returned to the UK, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt air travel. Ahmad Ali, from Swindon, Wiltshire, was travelling back from Pakistan when airstrikes began, leaving him under the care of Emirates staff.
His mother, Hafsa Ali, tearfully greeted him at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, alongside his father and younger sister. She described the ordeal as 'terrible', especially knowing her son was alone. Ahmad said: 'It was so terrible but I was with Emirates and they wanted to take care of me.'
A couple with a three-year-old daughter also endured a harrowing experience, camping out in an abandoned nightclub at the airport. Ourania Righelato, 32, from Barnet, north London, said they slept on the floor the first night, with no idea when they would return home. She described the relief of finally landing in the UK as 'unbelievable'.
Air travel across the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, with thousands of flights cancelled after US and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks. Magda Papadimitriou, 40, from Greece, who was stuck in Dubai for five days, said the lack of shelters in the city added to the fear, but staff tried to ease passengers' worries.
