It was surreal': holidaymakers on first flight out of Abu Dhabi describe petrifying experience

"We could hear the explosions. We could sometimes feel them and then [there was] black ash landing in the breakfast. It was surreal. On the plane, just as we were about to leave, we were looking at the news, seeing there's been another strike, and thinking are they going to let us leave? It was that level of uncertainty."

"We were on edge the whole time. It was surreal. On the plane, just as we were about to leave, we were looking at the news, seeing there's been another strike, and thinking are they going to let us leave? It was that level of uncertainty. Every passenger on the flight who spoke to the Guardian reported seeing missile interceptions from their hotel."

"It's petrifying. They're 19, they shouldn't have to go through that. They didn't know when they were getting home. It just makes you realise how volatile the area can be. The UAE government was quick to issue warning texts to people in the area, which reassured many British."

Following conflict eruption between Iran and Gulf neighbours, thousands of flights across the Middle East were cancelled, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers. The UK initiated evacuation plans for an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region. One of the first flights to depart, EY067, landed at Heathrow on Monday evening with passengers who had experienced the crisis firsthand. Travellers reported hearing explosions, feeling impacts, and witnessing missile interceptions from their hotels. Passengers received urgent evacuation texts with minimal notice to reach the airport. Young travellers on stopovers expressed shock and fear about the uncertainty of their situations, while parents worried about their children's safety during the volatile circumstances.

Read at www.theguardian.com