Brits fleeing Dubai have faced an agonising wait at the airport, with holidaymakers subjected to 22 hours of ‘carnage’ before boarding one of the few flights home. 

The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday morning, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei among those killed. 

And Iran has responded by launching retaliatory strikes on US assets and allies across the Gulf region, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

It has seen several major tourist and expat hotspots in the country hit, including the iconic Fairmont The Palm hotel and the Burj Al Arab hotel. 

Dubai International Airport has also been attacked, along with Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, where one person was reported killed. 

The wave of bombings has struck fear into the hearts of Brits living, working and travelling in the Emirati nation, who have found themselves stranded in a warzone. 

The first official government-chartered plane out of the Middle East is set to leave on Wednesday night, from Muscat, the capital of Oman, operated by British Airways. 

But one British couple has now told of the chaos of boarding one of the handful of UK-bound flights that has been able to depart the region since Monday. 

One British couple has now told of the chaos of boarding one of the handful of UK-bound flights that has been able to depart the region since Monday. Pictured: Nina Luminati, back, and her partner Lee Smart, second left, return to London from Dubai, greeted by Ms Luminati’s parents Sue, left, and Terry Luminati, second right

The wave of Iranian bombings across the Middle East, after Iran was struck by the US and Israel on Saturday, has struck fear into the hearts of Brits living, working and travelling in the region, who have found themselves stranded in a warzone. Pictured: Passengers gathered at Dubai Airport earlier this week 

Some 138,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the Middle East. Pictured: Passengers arrive at Heathrow from Abu Dhabi earlier this week 

Lee Smart, 36, and his partner Nina Luminati, 35, from Thornton Heath, south London, thankfully arrived safely back at London Heathrow on Wednesday afternoon. 

But it only came after they spent the night sleeping on chairs in the airport in Dubai, having already been forced to delay their return home by several days. 

The couple were travelling back home from a wedding in India when they became stranded in the UAE while waiting for their connecting flight to the UK last Saturday.

They had been placed on several waiting lists for flights back to Britain in that time. 

But the pair found themselves struggling to get seats as thousands of others gathered at Dubai airport to flee the country too. 

The pair were finally able to depart on Wednesday, leaving Dubai at 7.45am on Emirates flight EK001.  

Speaking in the arrivals hall at Heathrow, Mr Smart said: ‘We were advised by our hotel to get to the airport yesterday morning and then it was just a bit of carnage. 

‘I think many hotels told people the same thing. Maybe they were trying to get people out.

‘So, some people got on the first repatriation flights. We managed to get on those because we were at the back of the queue.

‘It was pretty calm in the city, despite everything that was going on. I think the UAE government did an amazing job, to be honest.’

The couple were greeted by Ms Luminati’s parents, Sue and Terry Luminati, upon their arrival back in London.  

Mrs Luminati, from Teddington, south-west London, said her daughter and son-in-law had ‘scrambled’ to get to Dubai airport.

She explained: ‘Once they got there, it was an absolute nightmare. There were obviously thousands of people all in the same position.

‘It’s very difficult to give advice in this situation because it is so unprecedented.

‘Do you get on? Do you stay there and hold your ground? Do you get on a plane, or do you go back, try and get a hotel and relax and wait for it to calm down?

‘They stayed there and that’s why they’re on this flight today. Because they were there at the right time to be able to get a seat.’

DUBAI: Thousands of passengers are currently stranded at Dubai Airport 

The Fairmont Palm hotel in Dubai was hit over the weekend as tourist areas were hit by Iran

DUBAI: Passengers at Dubai Airport this morning

The government has chartered a series of flights to rescue British nationals stranded in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said two official rescue flights will take off from Oman ‘in the coming days’, the first of which will depart on Thursday. 

It comes in addition to the announcement British Airways will operate two flights between the capital of Muscat and Heathrow, on Friday and Saturday.  

These planes and the first government rescue flight, set to leave Muscat on Wednesday, are all fully booked.  

The airline said: ‘We will continue to review the situation and if we are able to, we will add additional services.’

Sir Keir told MPs more than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the UAE on Tuesday.

Eight more UK flights are scheduled to leave the UAE on Wednesday, he said.

There is not expected to be a widespread evacuation of the 138,000 British nationals who have registered their presence in the Middle East.

Some commercial flights are operating from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE. 

But the vast majority are cancelled because of airspace restrictions caused by the conflict between Iran and the US and its allies.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 23 out of 33 planned flights from the UAE to the UK on Wednesday were cancelled.

All 17 flights from Qatar to the UK were axed, while all three from Bahrain and both from Kuwait were also cancelled.

British Airways, which does not usually serve Muscat, said it still cannot operate its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.

Muscat has emerged as a key location for people to leave the Middle East.

The Foreign Office does not advise against travel to the area where the capital’s airport is located, unlike the current advice for airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Muscat can be reached by road from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi with journeys of about 300 miles.

Relieved passengers hugged their loved ones in the arrivals hall at British airports this week and told of their ‘terrifying ordeals’ after becoming trapped in the region. Pictured: Georgia, left, and Lorna Scobie, second right, greet their siser Maisie Scobie, centre, with her partner Fraser and their nine-month-old baby after a flight to Gatwick Airport from Dubai on Tuesday 

On Tuesday, Emirates and Etihad Airways operated just five UK-bound flights from the Middle East, compared to the dozens they usually run every day. Pictured: Katy Luboff, centre, greets her best friend Andrea, right, and her daughter Liberty, left, as they arrived at Gatwick Airport from Dubai on Tuesday 

Read More

Just a handful of UK-bound flights to leave the UAE today as thousands remain stranded in warzone

Travel advice from the UK’s Foreign Office states: ‘There are a limited number of commercial options available, including by air from UAE and from Oman.

‘If your presence in UAE is not essential, you may wish to consider departing – if you judge you can access these options safely.’

Oman Air has continued to operate its two daily return flights between Muscat and Heathrow despite the war.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said Muscat has ‘become a popular alternative for flying out of the region’

But warned it ‘almost all scheduled flights from Muscat are fully booked’ – and private jets are being chartered ‘to evacuate those who can afford it’.

About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe, Asia and Australia. 

Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers.

The first unofficial UK-bound evacuation flight from the UAE touched down at Heathrow on Monday night. 

Relieved passengers hugged their loved ones in the arrivals hall and told of their ‘terrifying ordeals’ after becoming trapped in the region.

On Tuesday, Emirates and Etihad Airways operated just five UK-bound flights from the Middle East, compared to the dozens they usually run every day. 

The three scheduled to land at Heathrow from Dubai and Abu Dhabi were all delayed. 

Emirates ran two flights to Heathrow and one each to Gatwick and Manchester. Etihad Airways scheduled one flight from Abu Dhabi to London.

Meanwhile, British Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled all of their timetabled flights between the Middle East and the UK as airspaces remain closed.

British tourists caught up in chaotic scenes at Dubai Airport spoke of their nightmare experiences trying to get home as the city comes under fire.

Jessica Tennant, 30, from Lincoln, who has been on a two-week holiday to the UAE with her young children, said: ‘It has been incredibly stressful.

‘We have heard absolutely nothing [from the Government or airlines]. We have had no updates. We are checking the news hourly because we have not been told anything.

Jessica Tennant (pictured), 30, from Lincoln, who has been on a two-week holiday to the UAE with her young children, said: ‘It has been incredibly stressful’ 

Grandmother Mina Pattni (right, with her husband, daughter, son-in-law and grandsons), 62, from Leicester, and her family were staying at the Fairmont The Palm, which was hit by either a drone or debris, starting a fire 

Hafsa and Shamshed Ali were waiting nervously at Terminal 3 for their 12-year-old son, Ahmad, who had spent the last three nights in Dubai alone. Pictured: The couple, with their daughter, Noor, reunited with Ahmad in Heathrow 

‘We flew with Emirates and we’ve had no contact at all. We are due to fly on Thursday but we have no idea if that is going ahead.’

Grandmother Mina Pattni, 62, from Leicester, and her family were staying at the Fairmont The Palm, which was hit by either a drone or debris, starting a fire.

‘It was absolutely terrifying,’ she said. ‘We were just sitting down to eat on Saturday night when we heard some interceptions of drones or missiles in the air.

‘That was scary enough, but just as we ordered, there was this terrific bang and we could see that the side of the building had been hit and everyone was evacuated until the fire was extinguished.’

She was travelling with her husband and their daughter and son-in-law and two grandsons, who are two years old and five months respectively. 

‘The children were very frightened,’ said Ms Pattni. 

‘They picked up the slightly panicky mood from the other guests, though the hotel staff were very good and still managed to serve cold food, even though the gas in the hotel had to be turned off.

‘With our flight home on Sunday cancelled, we decided to stay with a relative in Dubai, mainly so that the children would be in a calmer atmosphere.’

Like several other Brits congregated outside Terminal 3 at DXB on Tuesday, the Pattnis hoped to make it on an Emirates flight to Heathrow, or possibly a later one to Gatwick.

Travellers were corralled outside the busy Emirates terminal waiting to be called forward for their flights. 

They were headed mostly for Russia and the Indian subcontinent, with a few destined for the UK and Europe.

Meanwhile, another wave of relieved Brits arrived back to Heathrow from Dubai on Tuesday.

Anxious families were clutching flowers and balloons as they waited to be reunited with their loved ones, who had been through a ‘horrific’ ordeal.

The flight was delayed by an hour and a half, but passengers finally began trickling through at around 1:30pm.

Hafsa and Shamshed Ali were waiting nervously at Terminal 3 for their 12-year-old son, Ahmad, who had spent the last three nights in Dubai alone. 

The couple, also joined by their daughter Noor, eight, embraced Ahmad as soon as he walked into the terminal.

About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe, Asia and Australia. Pictured: Stranded passengers at Dubai Airport earlier this week 

Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers. Pictured: Stranded passengers at Dubai Airport earlier this week 

The Foreign Office has advised against travel to all countries currently under attack, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Pictured: Emergency services at the scene of an Iranian missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday 

Ms Ali told the Daily Mail: ‘My 12-year-old son, Ahmad, was in Pakistan with his uncle. We were waiting for his visa, but it came late. 

‘As soon as it arrived, we booked him a flight home on Emirates, using the children’s service.

‘When we realised he would be delayed in Dubai, it was terrifying. We saw on social media what was going on.

Mr Ali said: ‘We didn’t sleep at all for three nights.’

Ms Ali continued: ‘I was crying and praying as I looked at social media and the news. It was so scary.

‘He’s so young, just 12 years old, and it was his first time travelling outside the country.

‘The most horrific thing was that he was alone. But the Emirates cared for him so well. 

‘There were always staff at the hotel with him, playing games with him, watching Netflix. We were able to speak to him on video call.

‘He said to me: “Mum, I am not a child anymore. Everyone is crying, but I am not.”‘

Mr Ali said: ‘He was so brave. We’re very proud of him.’

An Etihad Airways flight also landed at Heathrow on Monday night from Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport.

Amy Maguire, 23, was on the eight-hour flight back after going on holiday with her baby daughter Anabel and her parents.

She said: ‘It has been horrifying.

‘It has been really difficult not knowing if your child is safe. The sounds have been horrendous. We had to go in this little room under the hotel.’

The Foreign Office has advised against travel to all countries currently under attack, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

Brits already in these countries have been urged to ‘immediately shelter in place’ as Iran continues its retaliatory strikes.

The UK government is currently advising against all travel to Iran and Israel. 

It says anyone travelling to Cyprus, which was hit on Sunday, should ‘take sensible precautions’ and follow the advice of local authorities. 

The government also advises against all travel to parts of Egypt.

Officials currently advise against all travel to Turkey ‘within 10km of the border with Syria’ due to ‘fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism’.

Analytics company Cirium said 1,555 out of 5,340 flights scheduled to operate to the Middle East on Monday were cancelled.

This included 735 to the UAE and 255 to Qatar.

At Sydney, to and from which the Middle East is a connecting hub, hundreds of passengers have been sleeping overnight after having their flights cancelled.

Flights between the UK and Cyprus have also been affected, with easyJet axing two inbound and two outbound flights connecting Paphos with Gatwick and Manchester. 

The airline also cancelled one inbound and one outbound flight between Larnaca and Gatwick.