On the surface, one would think New York-bound air travel plans from Delhi have nothing to worry about despite the heavy airspace closures across Gulf nations amid the ongoing joint US-Israel military offensive against Iran. However, an Indian CEO’s recent social media confession flipped that perception upside down.
A day ago, Sanjay Varnwal, the co-founder and CEO at Spyne, an AI-native automotive retail technology company founded in India and operating globally, took to his official LinkedIn profile to shed light on how his Delhi to New York trip turned into a nightmare.
“Never imagined a routine Delhi to New York trip could turn into something like this, and I would get stuck in the middle of what the world is watching from outside,” he wrote on the platform.
Delhi to New York travel plans leaves Indian CEO stranded in Kuwait
Sharing certain details of his travel itinerary, the Indian CEO revealed that he departed from Delhi at 3 am and ultimately landed in Kuwait during transit at 5:30 am. Initially, everything appeared to be falling into place, as Varnwal was waiting to board the 9 am flight to the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York.
The Indian CEO acknowledged that while his flight took off from Kuwait at 8:45 am on February 28, he was completely out of touch with the world’s reality outside his plane. He could’ve never imagined what happened next.
“Maybe 45 minutes in, the pilot announced mid air that because Iraqi airspace suddenly closed, we can’t go forward,” Varnwal wrote online. His flight was ultimately rerouted back to Kuwait.
Still unaware of how the US-Israel war on Iran was taking a toll on air travel, Varnwal remained hopeful about landing in New York. “Even after we touched down in Kuwait, I still didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation,” he added.
Upon landing, he realised that even the Kuwait Airways staff had no information about what was going on. “Though the news started flashing that some conflicts have started in the region and Iran, US, Israel are involved,” he shared ahead. “But, due to this Middle East conflicts always in news, I thought it to be routine, nothing to be worried about so much.”
The airline staff laid out a revised departure time for 1:30 pm, the Indian CEO divulged in his post. Even the boarding passes were issued again, prompting the passengers to be checked in once more. “We waited and waited, but the flight did not take off. An hour passed, I was still hopeful that the flight would take off (naive?),” Varnwal continued.
“Around 3pm, airline staff said that the planes are grounded and there is no way that flights can operate now. This is when the seriousness of the situation hit me hard. I realised – s**t, I am stranded here now!!”
The business leader said that while locals returned to their homes amid the surging confusion, those who were stuck in Kuwait during transit had no choice but to go through it all. “Close to 1000 odd people, or maybe more, stranded at the airport. We waited and waited,” he added.
The Kuwait Airways staff offered some respite by arranging accommodations for all those stuck in the unprecedented situation. Varnwal initially thought of booking arrangements on his own. Then, it hit him that it would be “better to stay together in the mix,” and going it alone wasn’t worth taking the risk.
Appreciating the efforts put in by authorities, the Indian CEO wrote, “We managed to move out of the airport by 8pm. And, it was pure chaos – over a thousand people, a fleet of buses, and police everywhere trying to keep the peace. Kudos to authorities, the way they managed the situation.” At around 10 pm, Varnwal says they finally checked into their respective hotels.
“And, this is how one of the most interesting days of my life ended. Now stuck here, waiting for the airspace to open, with war outside!” he concluded the post. “Big thanks to friends and Indian Embassy for always being around and being so helpful. So proud to be an Indian.”
Is air travel disrupted in the US amid the Iran war?
Contrary to the picture of uncertainty unfolding in the Middle East, domestic US travel is still operational as usual. No widespread cancellations linked to the conflict have come to light yet.
However, the same can’t be said for flights headed to international locations from the US. Travel involving routes through Middle East hubs is likely to face turbulent snags.
As conflict escalates in Iran, the country has continued its retaliatory onslaught across the Middle East, targeting countries that host US military assets. It has inevitably resulted in the closure of several airspaces across the Gulf.
Europe-to-Asia traffic has essentially flowed through the Middle East for decades. Additionally, even flights starting in the US but bound for international routes through Middle East hubs are now facing cancellations and more confusion.
The prevailing unpredictability surrounding international air travel in such cases is significantly tied to the region housing major hubs like Dubai International Airport, Hamad International Airport and Zayed International Airport, and carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.