A routine international business trip took an unexpected turn for an Indian businessman after escalating tensions in the Middle East disrupted air travel across the Gulf.
Sanjay Varnwal, CEO and co-founder of Spyne, was stranded in Kuwait after his connecting flight to New York was forced to turn back mid-air due to a sudden airspace closure linked to the US-Iran conflict.
In a detailed post on LinkedIn, Varnwal recounted how he boarded a flight from Delhi to Kuwait at 3am before heading to his next connection at 9am at New York’s JFK airport.
“Everything was completely normal when our flight took off from Kuwait at 08:45 on February 28. I was just settling in, reading a book, completely unaware of what was happening outside,” he wrote.
About 45 minutes into the trip, the pilot announced that Iraqi airspace had suddenly closed and the plane would have to head back to Kuwait.
“It was a little annoying at first… I didn’t realize what a mess I was getting myself into,” he wrote, adding that he initially assumed it was a minor issue and expected only a short delay.
However, upon landing back in Kuwait, the extent of the breach became clear. Airline employees reportedly had limited information as tensions escalated in the region.
Kuwait Airways later issued a revised departure time of 13:30 and re-issued boarding passes. A few hours later, however, the situation worsened.
“Around 3:00 p.m. the airline staff said the planes were grounded and there was no way the flights could operate now. That’s when the gravity of the situation hit me hard. I realized – damn, now I’m stuck here,” he wrote.
Describing the airport scenes, Varnwal said transit passengers were left waiting for local passengers to return home. He estimated that nearly 1,000 people were stranded.
“It was pure chaos – over a thousand people, a fleet of buses and police everywhere trying to keep the peace,” he said, praising the authorities for handling the situation.
By 10:00 p.m., passengers were reportedly checked into several hotels across the city.
“And so ended one of the most exciting days of my life. Now I’m stuck here waiting for the airspace to open, there’s a war out there!” he wrote and thanked friends and the Indian Embassy for their support.
His experience reflects wider travel disruptions affecting thousands of people around the world as flights are diverted or grounded due to rising regional tensions.
(This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)
