Air Travel Chaos: Middle East Strikes Strand Thousands

0:00On this March 2nd in Durham, here's what is making headlines. Global air travel has ground to a halt after U.S. and Israeli strikes on a rand sparked retaliation across the Middle East. Key airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha shut down following direct hits, stranding thousands of passengers from Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond. Major airlines are suspending operations with no quick fixes in sight. Emirates halted flights until at least 3 pm, local time on Tuesday. Qatar airways and Eddie had airways have also paused services through Tuesday afternoon, scattering planes worldwide. Travelers are caught off guard, including pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, tourists on Bali and business folks on cruise ships. More than 58,000 Indonesians are stuck near Mecca and Medina during Ramadan, while governments urge everyone to shelter in hotels and avoid risky moves. Nations are stepping up with rescue plans. The Czech Republic is flying planes to Egypt, Jordan, and Oman to bring home around 6,700

1:04citizens. Britain and Germany are prepping options too, registering over 102,000 Brits in the area. Markets field of pain is airline stocks like United, Delta, and American dropped 5-6%. Both hubs vital for global connections face a temporary setback, but officials in the United air of Emirates are covering costs for 20,000 affected passengers. Special thanks to our sponsor for supporting this episode. If earbuds fall out when you sleep, this is for you, a pillow with built-in sound, S-O-L-L-I, solely pillow.com.