Relief at JKIA as Kenyans Arrive from Dubai on First Evacuation Flight
A special flight operated by Kenya Airways landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Thursday carrying dozens of passengers evacuated from Dubai, including 13 schoolchildren and their teachers who had been stranded for five days.
The group had travelled to the United Arab Emirates for a school trip but was unable to leave after regional airspace closures disrupted flights. Their return was part of an emergency repatriation effort organised to bring Kenyan citizens home as tensions escalated across the Middle East.
Olive Tindika, the school’s director, said the children struggled during the delay. She said they received frequent alerts about the conflict and were alarmed by explosions heard in the distance. According to her account, several pupils sought reassurance by staying close to their teachers in hotel rooms. She described the experience as deeply distressing for the group.
Earlier in the week, Kenya Airways announced it would operate special repatriation flights on 4 and 5 March for citizens of both Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. The airline said the flights were emergency operations arranged after widespread closures of airspace across the Gulf region halted normal commercial travel.
The disruption followed a sharp escalation in tensions in the Middle East. The United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran after nuclear negotiations in Geneva collapsed. Iran later responded by firing missiles and drones at neighbouring states aligned with Washington, prompting many airlines to suspend or cancel flights across the region.
For Kenyans living and working in the Middle East, the conflict has created uncertainty and disruption. Some residents report that they have been unable to work and have been advised to remain indoors while security conditions remain unclear.
Passengers arriving in Nairobi described relief at reaching home. However, many travellers remain stranded abroad as transport links across the region continue to be affected by the conflict.
