"Very relieved": Passengers on first Dubai-Singapore flight since Middle East war began recount stressful journey home

“We were very, very thrilled, very happy. Very grateful. We prayed every day," said a mother who welcomed her son back at Changi Airport. Advertisement Singapore "Very relieved": Passengers on first Dubai-Singapore flight since Middle East war began recount stressful journey home “We were very, very thrilled, very happy. Very grateful. We prayed every day," said a mother who welcomed her son back at Changi Airport. Family members reuniting after the first Singapore-bound flight from Dubai since the Iran war landed in Changi Airport on Mar 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting) New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. Natasha Ganesan Natasha Ganesan 05 Mar 2026 09:50AM (Updated: 05 Mar 2026 09:58AM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST SINGAPORE: The first flight carrying Singapore residents stranded in the Middle East touched down on Thursday morning (Mar 5), ending days of uncertainty for travellers stranded by the escalating war involving Iran.Flight EK314, operated by Emirates, departed Dubai around 9pm local time on Wednesday and landed at Changi Airport just after 8.15am on Thursday. Emirates had announced it would operate a limited number of repatriation and freighter flights on Tuesday and Wednesday amid the unfolding crisis.Thursday's arrivals come as carriers worldwide continue to cancel or suspend services across the region, with hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran showing no sign of abating.Mr Carl Rajoo, who had been stuck in Dubai for four days after a business trip, said “very relieved” to be back home.The economist was supposed to fly back to Singapore last Saturday but was turned away upon reaching the airport in Dubai.“I didn't even know the flight was cancelled, I was just arriving (at the airport). So it was a bit stressful,” he said. Economist Carl Rajoo with his wife Geraldine Lin after arriving in Singapore from Dubai on Mar 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting) He booked a room at the closest hotel he could find, and got in touch with his company, which managed to find him a flight back.But the 43-year-old had to endure many flight cancellations from Sunday up until Wednesday, which he said was “very stressful”.His earlier flight out on Wednesday at 2.30am Dubai time had also been cancelled. While he managed to secure a spot on the later flight at 9pm, he still has friends who were stuck in the Middle East.Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and its overseas missions in the Middle East have asked Singaporeans stranded in the region to indicate their interest in assisted departures through an online survey.The ministry has also advised all Singaporeans to defer travel to the Middle East. Dr Akanksha Batura Pai and her daughters reuniting with her parents, Captain Ashok K Batura and Mrs Sarita Batura who were on the first Singapore-bound flight from Dubai since the Iran war on Mar 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting) 5-year-old Ethan Neo holding a sign waiting for his mother to arrive from Dubai on Mar 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting) "VERY, VERY THRILLED"Mr Rajoo said he did not have many concerns while on the flight. “I think when they open the airspace, it feels quite secure. They're not going to just open it when there are missiles flying overhead.“The only fears I had was really at the start where there was a lot more missile warnings and there's a lot more explosions in the air,” he added.Waiting for him at the airport were his parents, Mr Gerald Rajoo and Ms Teresa Ooi, and his wife Ms Geraldine Lin. A flight information display shows that the first Singapore-bound Emirates flight from Dubai since the Iran war broke out has landed on Mar 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting) “We were very, very thrilled, very happy. Very grateful. We prayed every day,” said Ms Ooi, on how she felt knowing her son was coming back home.She added that she was “devastated” when she found out he could not get on his initial flight back on Saturday. Ms Lin added that her husband’s company and MFA were very supportive throughout the process. But she did not want to get her hopes high yet, even when she heard he was taking the flight back.“Even until today … we dare not be too hopeful,” she said, in case the flight was cancelled again. Related: Singaporeans stranded by Middle East airspace shutdown face rising costs as travel plans are thrown into chaos ‘Like sitting ducks’: Fear and uncertainty mount for Southeast Asians stranded in Middle East Source: CNA/ng Sign up for our newsletters Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox Subscribe here Get the CNA app Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories Download here Get WhatsApp alerts Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your prefe