Middlesbrough family hopes to take Sunday flight from Dubai

Emma Hudson, husband Paul, and daughter Sadie, from Middlesbrough, said tourists like themselves have felt “abandoned” amid the week-long crisis arising from the ongoing conflict between the USA, Israel and Iran.

It began on the day they were due to return home from the UAE, last Saturday (March 1), after an eight-day winter break in Dubai, when their British Airways flight was cancelled.

In the days since, there have been a string of further cancellations of planned repatriation flights amid ongoing safety fears, with Iran’s targeting of Gulf nations thought to be assisting the US, with drone strikes, many of which have been intercepted.

Emma Huson, from Middlesbrough, hopes she and family can return from Dubai on flight on Sunday (March 8) (Image: Emma Hudson)

The family has now managed to book onto an Emirates flight to Newcastle, scheduled to leave Dubai on Sunday morning.

She said if that is also cancelled, they are also booked onto another Emirates flight on March 12.

Paul Hudson and daughter Sadie, hoping to make return flight from Dubai on Sunday (Image: Emma Hudson)

But with further emergency alerts on Saturday night, the Hudsons were preparing to spend what they hope will be their last night in Dubai in beds provided in the basement of their hotel for safety reasons, in case of further strikes.

One of the regular alerts received by holidaymakers in Dubai, warning of potential drone attacks in the Gulf state (Image: Emma Hudson)

She said they have a taxi booked for early in the morning, but conceded she did have some misgivings over the potential safety of flying from Dubai at the moment.

“I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing, struggling with the decisions I’m making.

“Is it the right thing to fly?

“Is it safer on the ground or in the air.

“As a parent, it’s very difficult.

“I don’t want to harm my daughter.”

She conceded if she was a member of cabin crew or a pilot she would not take the risk.

Mrs Hudson said there was also a suicide drone attack on Saturday morning at the very terminal from where they are due to fly.

She said they have also considered going to neighbouring Oman as her nephew took the six-hour drive there and is there, now, also awaiting a repatriation flight.

But she opted against it, on safety grounds.

Mrs Hudson said she has felt failed and abandoned by the Government, having been given conflicting advice and merely “stay inside”, while she as also pointed to local charities which could assist.

She said they have been “traumatised” by the noise of drone strikes being intercepted, a now familiar sound.

preparing for night in Dubai hotel basement amid further retaliatory drone strikes by Iran (Image: Emma Hudson)

“My daughter suffers with anxiety, and she’s been absolutely petrified,” she said.

“We can hear them intercepting missiles, it’s so loud.

“On Sunday night (March 2), we had to go and hide in the basement, it was traumatising.

“People on social media are trying to say life is normal and nothing has happened, but that’s not true at all.

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“One minute Sadie was swimming with dolphins, and a few hours later, there’s bombs going off.

“We just feel like we’ve been abandoned.”

She added that although she is desperate to go home but remains unsure if she will feel safe in the sky on the flight home.