Indian passengers stuck in Abu Dhabi heave sigh of relief on arrival at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: Relief was writ large on the faces of Indian passengers who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport here from the UAE, ending a period of high tension fueled by the conflict in West Asia.

Upon arrival on Monday night, the passengers recollected the tense moments of a missile attack in the Gulf nation, before flying towards safety.

Travellers thanked Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi government and the Indian government for ensuring their safety and providing accommodation and transport during the disruption.

Saurabh Shetty, who hails from Mangaluru and works for an oil company in Abu Dhabi, described the situation as "worrisome and scary".

"When I came to catch my flight on February 28, everything seemed alright. Suddenly, near the check-in area, we got an alarm and were asked to sit down. We were cautioned not to sit near the windows because of a missile threat," he told PTI videos.

"Someone said, 'Missile is going to hit.' We were shocked. We were like we are in the safest city - Abu Dhabi. How can this happen here? Later, when we looked outside, we saw a missile. We never thought such things could happen here. Everyone was calling to check if we were safe. Thankfully, we were safe inside the airport," Shetty added.

Calling it a "life-breaking moment", he said, "When you see a missile in front of you, you feel it may hit you any moment. From my (hotel) room, I could see interceptions happening in the sky. At that time, I thought about how the Indian Army faces such situations. We have great respect for them."

He also expressed condolences for those who lost their lives. "We survived and returned home. If one missile had hit, we would not be here. All we wanted was to see our families," he said, while appreciating the authorities in Abu Dhabi for taking care of stranded passengers.

Mahesh, who was travelling from Boston, lauded the airline's arrangements.

"One flight has landed from Abu Dhabi. The service was great. They provided us a good hotel and arranged food. We stayed comfortably. Around 15 to 16 flights operated today, and they are expecting more to resume. Only partial airspace is available right now," he said.

Ramya, a Bengaluru resident who had travelled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, said, "Our return flight was cancelled initially. Today (March 2), Etihad arranged another flight for us. As of now, the situation seems peaceful, but as a precautionary measure, they had closed the airspace. Only about 15 flights have been allowed."

Bharat said the situation has improved. "The last two days were a little scary. But, today it is better. They arranged flights for us to return. Special thanks to the Indian and UAE governments for extending our stay and accommodating us," he said.

Niruban from Coimbatore said there was some delay due to drone activity, but the journey back was smooth. "Thanks to Etihad Airways, we reached safely....The Abu Dhabi government took very good care of us. Within four to five hours, they arranged transport to good hotels and ensured everyone's safety. Even while returning to the airport, proper transportation was arranged."

Prasad, a software developer working in Bengaluru, said while Abu Dhabi was relatively stable, the atmosphere remained tense.

"We heard sounds and felt vibrations. There were interceptions happening, and some debris reportedly fell near the airport. Dubai was said to be worse. But the authorities provided accommodation free of cost and coordinated well with the Indian authorities. My advice to those there is to follow government guidelines," he said.

Girimalappa Kerur, originally from Bilgi in Bagalkot district and currently based in Bengaluru, said he was travelling to Paris on a business trip but got stranded.

"We could hear explosions, and we were told around 15 missiles were intercepted in Abu Dhabi. One person reportedly died due to debris. Etihad arranged a safe hotel away from the airport. They are operating about 15 flights a day between 5 am and 5 pm to clear the backlog from February 28. I cancelled my onward trip to Paris and returned to Bengaluru. I'm relieved to be back," he said.