'There were explosions around hotel': 1st Abu Dhabi-Bengaluru flight lands amid Israel-Iran conflict; passengers recount ordeal

BENGALURU: The first flight from Abu Dhabi landed at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on Monday night, offering relief to passengers stranded for days amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.Passengers described tense scenes during the disruption. Speaking to news agency ANI, a passenger said, "It was very scary. The airline shifted us to a hotel, and there were explosions around the hotel. Missiles were being intercepted and we could hear explosions all around. We are happy to be back in India." Another traveller praised the airline’s arrangements after flights were grounded. A passenger says, "Once we got stuck in the Abu Dhabi airport, Etihad Airways took good care of us. They booked the hotels for all the passengers whose flights were cancelled."Thousands of Indians stranded in the UAE, flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to India resumed on Monday night, with services to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru among the first to restart. On board Emirates flight EK568 from Dubai to Bengaluru, the mood was described as emotional and celebratory. "Welcome onboard this flight to Bengaluru. Yes, this is the first flight," an air hostess announced. Sanjeev Mehta, a passenger on the Dubai-Bengaluru Emirates flight, expressed gratitude as the aircraft prepared to depart. "Thanks to the UAE authorities for starting the flights. We just boarded the flight to Bengaluru, India. This is one of the first few flights which have started," he told ANI. Mehta said passengers had little time to make arrangements. "We were given a very short notice to book the tickets but we were able to book some tickets and rush to the airport. As of now, I am excited that I am going back home," he said. Dubai Airports confirmed a partial restart of operations, announcing that a limited number of flights would operate from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) from the evening of 2 March. Authorities advised passengers not to travel to the airports unless they had been contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time.