Ennis Man On Dubai Repatriation Flight Sheds Light On Situation In UAE

0:00John Ruhan from Ennis was among the passengers on the Emirates' repatriation flight that touched down at Dublin Airport from Dubai in Wednesday, Nice, and speaking shortly after arriving home, Sean said there had been a lot of scare mongering around the situation and he's keen to share what the journey was really like for those on board. And, uh, Jones is now to talk about the flight, the atmosphere among passengers, uh, what it was like finally landed back in Ireland and what the situation is really like on the ground in the United Arab Emirates. As Sean, thank you so much for joining me on Morning Focus. Good morning, Adam. Thank you. You mentioned that it was a miracle that you were on that flight. And I can imagine that might have been quite a lot of hands raised in, uh, in terms of wanting to seat on that flight. So can you just explain what, why, what you meant by that? Sure. Um, I suppose when I was talking about miscommunication, the whole communication around that flight, uh, was a little bit last minute, as you can understand, you know, in terms of the logistics for trying to put together that flight to get it back. So I only found out about three and a half hours before it left, um, the official line

1:00from Emirates every time I was in contact with them about trying to rebook myself back to Ireland. There was no flights. There were no flights scheduled to go to Ireland. So I got a notification from a graduate of Shannon College of Health and Management working in Dubai, the type of toss, uh, to tell me that he had spouses and also on the embassy web page from Abu Dhabi, stating that there was a flight back. So I went and investigating about this and I was getting information from Emirates thing. They could see no flights. Was Emirates were putting agents into all the hotels in Dubai last weekend that they had passengers staying in. And for the contact hotel, I talked to him and initially he was telling me there was no flights, but he made a few phone calls and he discovered that there was such a flight. So then this grandmother obviously was to try and get a seat on that. And I suppose I want to preface what I'm saying here this morning, Alan, is I don't live in Dubai. I was transitioning through Dubai last Saturday on a work trip in Seychelles. I should only have been on the ground in Dubai for about an hour and a half. So then the war broke out and obviously the airspace closed down.

2:00Me and 900 others Irish that were trying to transit through Dubai last weekend stuck there. And when I say I was trying to get out of Dubai, it wasn't because of what's going on there. It wasn't because I felt on the base. I felt perfectly safe. But I don't live in Dubai. So obviously I was trying to get home. Yeah, no, I was fortunate enough to get in the flight. That's what the word miracle is. There were so many people that are trying to get out of Dubai. It could have been anybody else. It was just random that I managed to get a seat on the train. The first one also to buy that specially. I lost Wednesday, sorry. Yeah, and it sounds, you know, you really had to gather yourself and your things together and get and make that flight. But what was the atmosphere like on the flight itself? Because as you say, you were just on a work trip. But there are people on the flight who've been living there, maybe been living there for some time, you know, was there a mixture of tension, really, for just a range of emotions amongst the passengers, Sean? Sure, my understanding, Alan, is that everybody on my flight left when I came out to Dubai were people that all lived in Dubai that were transit passengers like myself. I didn't get a sense.

3:01Now obviously I didn't talk to all four hundred, but I didn't get a sense from anybody I did talk to that there were people who had lived in Dubai while working in Dubai and were deciding to get out of this. So that was the priority for the Irish government. For Emirates, it's to get the transit passengers who were struck in Dubai last Saturday. I was at the airport first. And after that, they would be dealing with anybody that decides that they want to come home. So in terms of the atmosphere, you know, I saw, I've seen posts on social media since I got home. People saying that there was the appels on landing in Dublin, that there was jubilation. I was just, you know, halfway up the aircraft. So it was people's captains on the back. Maybe I didn't hear them. But there was somebody, certainly nobody clapping in the vicinity of where I was. These just people were just genuinely relieved to be getting home. And now's because they were afraid. They were getting home because they don't live in Dubai. So the scaremongering that's going on and the last person on social media, which I would imagine is very upsetting for people in Ireland that might have kids living and working in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, it's not true.

4:03You know, there are missiles absolutely. I'm not just suppressing. There is a war, there is a tax going on. The UAE Air Force is very, very good at shooting down those missiles long before they ever are stretched to people on the ground. As I mentioned in my brief interview at the airport the other night, the trap note from those missiles certainly has to come down once they're shot down. And that's what prompted the fire. So the fire in the Jemara Pam hotel and also my understanding, the fire at the Burjale Arab was trap note from a shot down missile. It wasn't the direct chase by a missile. Okay, I don't want to get more into what the situation is actually like there. But I suppose maybe the Wasraeli amongst the passengers because like you, they were in transit, they're not living there. And they may have felt once they read the news of the initial attack on Iran by the US and Israel and then subsequently what has happened since and they might have talked just my look to be passing through here briefly when this all kicks off. Correct. I mean, I initially was on a two-day business trip to Seychelles.

5:04I had clothing to sue me for two days. So I hadn't signed up as they'd like like hundreds of others to be staying in Dubai for four days past Saturday. So even from a practical purpose at the point of view, you know, there were people that came out of the airport and saturday night with nothing. No luggage because our luggage didn't come up. It was health and an advantage at a part of the airport. So they walked out of the airport to the toes and they're back all these into a hotel. Emirates were very good. They put all their passengers into hotels. You didn't have to pay for the hotel room. You didn't have to pay for your breakfast lunch and dinner that was provided for you. We were told shelter in place in the hotel. So that meant you didn't go outside. Not because there were, you know, missiles following all around the place as seems to be reported in some quarters of social media. It was a precautionary measure that you would shelter in place. And that's what people did. And as the days went on, what was making people feel stressed was when am I going to get home. Now, the public's going on. They weren't, you know, afraid of what the conflict in the area is with a real issue.

6:05How am I going to get home with how many people trying to get out of the country? Yeah, that was their priority. So in terms of what you saw there, then you mentioned it's not as bad as perhaps as being portrayed, be it in the mirror, or on social media. Indeed, you mentioned missiles being shot down. Shrapnel calls some fires. What were the fires? Was that anything to be on Julie worried about? And in terms of the missiles, Sean, how frequent or infrequent, where those Iranian missiles coming over to Dubai and Dwayne in general? So the hotel I was put in is actually very close. I'm sure more people have seen the iconic Burj Khalifa hotel, which is the tallest building in Dubai. So my hotel was very close to that. And because that was in the sort of plastic center of Dubai, only over the four days I only heard one or two explosions of missiles being shot down. I have a friend who is also further out from Dubai and she was able to see interceptions where missiles were being shot down. But I couldn't see anything. I only heard one or two explosions

7:06where the missiles were obviously being shot down. But there wasn't, you know, on the street looking out my window, I wasn't seeing Shrapnel all over the footpath, all over the roads. So, you know, in one sense, you'd nearly be asking yourself what there were war on at all. And I did send into it was very quiet because there were not explosions going on on an hourly basis that you were hearing. So, you were just in your room and, you know, watching TV, obviously realizing that there is a conflict ongoing. But the lived experience for people in and around Dubai, it wasn't a case that there was explosions happening on a regular basis. Okay. And in terms of those explosions, where they loud, did they sound as if they were happy for a nearty or is it just like hearing, you know, Halloween fireworks off in the distance? No, no. I mean, I've been in Seychelles at the boys. I was in Seychelles, I'm there about two years ago and a construction site near the hotel I stayed and had TNT stored in a container. And that went off in a bit of the night. No, that was an explosion. I mean, the whole room rattles, the doors rattles.

8:07So, when I heard the explosions in Dubai earlier in the week, I knew there were explosions and you were stuck in it. They were because they aren't out. But nothing, and nothing fell down. I mean, I didn't see anything in and around the hotel that I was in. For the safety, the shelter and taste was a precautionary measure by the government as any government would take to have people indoors for two reasons. First of all, to know where they were. And secondly, that's in the event of something like a shrapnel from a missile that people wouldn't get taste. That was the rationale for us. So, the fires you mentioned, my understanding is the fires were foliage outside those hotels. The cold fire when the shrapnel from the missiles came down. The, you didn't seem on Julie phased. I mean, I don't know how much beforehand you knew and once you knew war had broken out, how much you knew about the anti-missile system or defense capabilities to address any incoming missiles. The UAE had in place, or did you only become aware

9:07that once you knew war had broken out? But were you confident that had you been there for another few days or another week that that system would continue to maintain the level of addressing these missiles that it was whilst you were there? Yeah, I had no concern, absolutely no concern for my personal safety. I had no concern that my hotel would be hit. That, you know, there would be the incoming missiles that would break through that defensive mechanism and actually end up hitting buildings and structures and Dubai. My only concern was if this was to go on long-term, that I could be out there for weeks, literally trying to get a flight home, not because of the fear of wanting to get out of there. There's a volume of people that were stuck. There was 20,000 passengers out and in that terminal last Saturday. To bring you up to speed, I knew nothing about the conflict on the way up from Facial, at the 4-hour flight from Facial to Dubai, our flight landed as normal, as I've said, as I've said, on several times before. I transitioned through the terminal, got to the gate for the Dublin flight to keep the standing around Wacien's boards

10:08and was only within a few minutes of getting to the gate, that in the first instance, we were told this flight was delayed for two hours and they were giving out food vouchers and then within an hour of that, we discovered that all flights were cancelled. Now I had seen an alert on BBC, when I landed this thing, that the conflict started, that there was some sort of an issue in Iran. But at that stage, geographically, it's close to the UAE, but it's not next door, so I wasn't on Julie's concerns. Never dawned to me, that this could potentially lead to my flight being cancelled until this actually happens. So you're fairly sanguine about the situation. Where others, though, on that flight, before they get on the flight nervous, it may be less confident in the UAE's abilities to address what was incoming. Then yourself, what was their noticeable tension in that regard that some people thought, well, what if one gets through and is near us or hits us? Sure. No, I can understand, I can understand completely, more so for family back in Ireland, actually having that mindset thinking, oh my god, this missile has been sent from Iran in the direction of Dubai,

11:09Abu Dhabi, Doha, and absolutely at your point, what if one of them gets through? Well, when you're in the situation yourself and you're physically there and you can see, there are not missiles getting through, there are not explosions happening on the ground, your attention reverts back to the practical issue of, okay, I need to get hold. I was only supposed to be in the ground for an hour and a half last Saturday and I eventually got out of there on Wednesday and there are people that are still there that are trying to get out. Once the airspace goes down, that's it. Nothing is coming in, nothing is going out and people are stuck there. You know, those people trying to get back for work, there were people that were out there with families, those children on holidays. So they want to get home and that's a very real expectation when you go somewhere that you're going to be able to come back. So I think people were relieved on my flight that they were getting home because they were never supposed to be in Dubai for that never time with the first place. I just wonder what you make of the criticism that has been out there towards the embassy and flight arrangements. Yeah, I may have been, I suppose,

12:10look, they're having to deal with lots. You say, 20,000, 24,000 hours people over there and then the likes yourself who are just transiting through. Do you have a perspective on how our citizens are being assisted? Do you feel like the government departments, the embassy are doing all they can? I think they are. I mean, I have to say, I was a soul to the table person myself in terms of registering with the embassy. It was probably Sunday or Monday before I actually did that myself. So they're dependent on the dash or they guess, you know, if a passenger is like myself until you register with the embassy, they are not really aware that you're stuck there. But once your name is registered for the embassy, you're definitely going to be on their radar in terms of trying to get you back. Um, there isn't to my knowledge and I can only speak open to the Wednesday evening. I'm home since then, but up to the Wednesday when I left, I wouldn't get a sense on what that group and stuff that was a massive surge of Irish who live and work in Dubai they were trying to get out there. And to that point, a two graduates of Shannon College of Hotel Management that I tossed, I was in touch with them and they're living in Dubai. They're married out there. Their families are there. And they have no plans in the near future

13:12to move back to Ireland. Because they see a safe, they feel that the UAE military are able to cope with the missiles that are being sent in the direction of Iran are from Iran in the direction of Dubai. And, you know, it's an inconvenience, absolutely, that they have to stay at home and their kids are putters on to online education. But up to Wednesday evening, they did not feel threatened. They did not feel okay, we need to start making plans to get out of here. Now that will change, could change Ireland as this context moves on. Um, as the air space opens, the next dilemma is, you know, I was one of the things I was concerned about is its flights are actually coming in again from places like Australia and in Asia, that was going to add to the backlog of passengers already stuck in divides as we're trying to get out. And those flights have started. As I've seen sites from Australia getting into Dubai and they'll put the Irish on those sites that were on holidays in Australia and we're transferring to Dubai and they're going to be stuck in terms of trying to get back. So it's a problem to get that many people out of a country when flights are happening it's frequently as they are.

14:13But as a problem of safety point of view as opposed to my message to listeners this morning is it is as safe as this can be. You know, it's not a war ravaged city. There's not massive explosions happening around Dubai. People are not living on a minute's minute's fear of their lives mentality. Well, I think those words have put a lot of minds at ease out there around Claire with the friends and loved ones living over in that part of the world. Just for a let you go, Sean, you know, a lot of different stories emerging as a result of these repatriation flights and one which has garnered headlines has been those passengers who were transferred from Dubai to Muscat and the government chartering a flight from a man that's due to leave a man today to come back to Ireland. And what's garnered the headlines has been the government that people who take a seat on that chart of law will have to pay 800 euro and a court of different opinions and that have emerged some saying, well, in this kind of a situation although I know you're stating that it's not as drastic as it's been made out, but still I'm sure there are people who are keen to get home regardless

15:13should things worsen. That you know, you should be charging that money in this scenario. Others would say, well, you know, if you can afford to be in Dubai or places like that, you can afford this flight. In fact, around half of Irish citizens contacted by officials, they've chosen not to avail of that flight out of a man today. And the Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McIntee suggesting that those seeking to get out of the Gulf states might be a weight in commercial flights to resume because they could potentially cost less. Do you think it's fair enough to government look for that given how far the flight has to come and everything else that's involved or given the scenario? Do you think it is a little unfair to ask people to pay that much? I suppose I pressed my answer, Alan, by saying I have been shocked on social media at the Dittriol that I've seen in terms of a comment. I saw what I was actually stood out there myself when there was flights where I announced the government for taturation flights. I saw one comment by somebody saying, why are we bringing these taxi exiles back to Ireland? Why are we not leaving them there? And I'm a transit passenger who got stuck in Dubai last Saturday for an hour and a half. I'm not a taxi exiled.

16:14I live a work in Ireland that paid my taxes. So in any situation with social media, it has an unfortunate happens of bringing out the worst in some people, not in all people, but there's some nasty stuff on social media. Yeah. In terms of the flights for the Irish government, they're dating the reason for the charges is obviously a significant cost to charge without aircraft. They're claiming the H-100-Dural per person is not covering the entire cost. I mean, I'm not going to adjudicate. I would say, personally, there could potentially be people out there that were on vacation in Dubai and towards the end of your vacation, you might not have a lot of cash. So to be asking them to paste, raise upwards to get on that flight is possibly going to rule out some people getting on us. But do I agree or disagree whether there should be a charge? You know, that's down to the government because I mean, it's the evolving situation. I do think commercial aviation is not the solution to get involved people back out of there because it has the logistics, it has the systems. Most people have an act of tickets that they're going to be operating to get back on anyway.

17:15It's just a question of getting the flights to come out. So while I was there, I mean, Dubai airports would have probably a landing or a taking off at peak time every start to your 40 seconds. So they were escalating up to 48 departures per hour, which is still not near what the full schedule would be. But as they can get more and more aircraft back to Dubai and get that logistics running again, people will get home and that's poor consolation for people that are stuck out there. I'm not trying to be patronizing and saying that, you know, if you're stuck in Dubai and you're working supposed to be there, you want to get home and that's the reality of us. So for my own situation, it was, it could have been me. It could have been any other person that got that piece on that plane. I was fortunate enough to get deceased. I would end up looking up to get us but I wasn't afraid. I wasn't coming home because I was afraid for my safety. I was coming home because I needed to get home. That was the only reason. Yeah, and look at it. It's great to have you on to kind of a, I suppose a swage and he fears people may have all the way up. Yeah.

18:15Before I let you go, I do have to say, you know, you're briefly passing through Dubai and war breaks out in the Middle East. You're in seashells and TNT goes off in the you know, I'll tell you and I just want to really sit tight in Ireland for a while before I try to think twice before traveling abroad again. You know, you know, I'm of an age and of a generation I've been in 11. I've been the ice cloud or the ash cloud in Iceland. I've been in the travel business on my working life. You know, when travel works and there's nothing that prevents it from working, it's in a very efficient way for people to get around the world. And, you know, from when I was in my 19, 20-year-old south up to where I'm now in my late 50s. You know, we are so dependent and we've become so used to being able to get from A to B with those any hindrances. So what happened last Saturday and the ongoing conflict in Iran as it all shows that there is a vulnerability to travel, you know, it is dependent on peace. It's dependent on no conflict happening in the world. And when it breaks out, it does absolutely put the breaks on travel and it captures people

19:15like it caught me off guard and you have to try and work through that to eventually get back home. My whole piece, I mean, device a wonderful country. It's very welcoming. The local Emirates and anybody you come in contact with are very, very helpful. And it's sad for them that they are caught in the collateral of this, you know, they're in a part of the ongoing conflict between the USA and Israel and Iran. What this is going to damage the Iran, you know, people will be very reluctant in the initially months to go back to the Middle East when this all settled down because of what has happened and that's sad. Yeah, they definitely will be thinking twice for some time to come. Sean, glad that you're back. Thanks so much for joining us and sharing your experience and what things are like, really like in the OAA, really appreciate you joining us in morning focus. Hi, Pedro Allen, thanks for the call.