Fringe Performers Face Travel Chaos in Middle East

0:00It's March 23rd. You're listening to Edinburgh News today, AI-powered local news. Festival performers at the Adelaide Fringe in Australia are facing major travel headaches this weekend, many plan to fly home through golf hubs like Doha and Dubai, but those routes are plagued by cancellations and long delays due to rising tensions in the Middle East. It's turning return trips into a gamble, with some flights even turning back mid-air. This mess echoes the fly chaos of March 2020 when pandemic restrictions grounded everyone. Comedians who tacked on shore holidays in Asia are still stuck routing back through the same risky paths, just postponing the problem. The fallout hits close to home for some. One man in Scotland is now tending a flock of sheep on his brother-in-law's farm of North since the owner got stranded in New Zealand. Meanwhile, a family visiting Israel for a wedding in late February has been stuck until Aviv amid the unrest, facing repeated postponements. A few are piecing together workarounds, like a flight to Cyprus on LL next Sunday, then

1:04connecting home to Paris after over four weeks away. Access to shelter and meds has helped in safer spots, unlike more volatile areas. Performers are left wondering when they'll make it back, but for those already home, like one comedian enjoying Scotland's mild double-digit temps. This March, it's a silver lining of unexpected downtime by the Chilli Portobello Beach.