Heartening tale of Singaporean tourists safe after US–Israel–Iran conflict

Thousands of flights failed to depart as the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran intensified in late February 2026, leaving many tourists stranded in the Middle East for days. Tourists from around the world had little choice for days as carriers cancelled flights, with no immediate sign of when the situation would normalise. After nearly a week, Singaporean travellers finally arrived from Dubai following the easing of tensions. They landed safely aboard the Emirates flight from Dubai to Singapore on Thursday, 5 March 2026. ‘I didn’t even know my flight had been cancelled at the time. I had just arrived at the airport, so it was quite nerve-wracking,’ said Carl Rajoo, one of the passengers on the Dubai–Singapore route. Rajoo, 43, an economist, was originally due to return to Singapore on Saturday, 28 February 2026, the day tensions between countries were rising. He booked a nearby hotel and alerted his employer. He eventually secured a return flight after four days of being stranded in Dubai. Rajoo’s flight was initially rescheduled for 02:30 on Wednesday 4 March 2026, Dubai time, but was cancelled, and he subsequently obtained the next available flight at 21:00 Dubai time. ‘They won’t reopen routes when missiles are flying overhead. My initial concern was when there would be more warning missiles and more explosions in the air,’ Rajoo added. ‘We are very, very happy, very grateful. We pray every day,’ his mother Ooi said. She also said she was crushed to learn that her son could not fly as scheduled. Lin, Rajoo’s wife, said her husband’s company and Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs were very helpful in facilitating the repatriation process. Read also: Disney Cruise Line ship to sail from Singapore.