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'Doesn't feel safe': Some UAE residents cancel travel plans to India, Pakistan amid tensions
Residents in Kashmir are living in a state of fear and uncertainty, with many avoiding travel and staying indoors due to the prevailing security situation
- PUBLISHED: Thu 1 May 2025, 2:32 PM
Some UAE residents are delaying or cancelling travel plans and postponing summer vacations to their home countries India and Pakistan due to concerns around airspace restrictions.
This comes amid escalating military tension between the two neighbours after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. India, on Wednesday, shut its airspace for Pakistani airlines till May 23. Earlier, Pakistan also banned Indian carriers from using its airspace.
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Harpreet, a Dubai resident working as a sales manager at a plastic manufacturing company, who had planned to travel to his hometown of Amritsar this summer, said he decided to cancel his trip after seeing flight disruptions and increasing uncertainty.
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“I had been looking forward to visiting my family in Amritsar after a long time, but with everything happening between India and Pakistan, it just doesn’t feel safe,” Harpreet said.
“A few flights to Amritsar have already been cancelled or rerouted because they usually pass through Pakistani airspace. Now that India has also closed its airspace for Pakistan, the situation feels even more tense.”
Harpreet, who has lived in the UAE for 9 years, said this is the first time he has had to cancel a family vacation because of geopolitical tensions.
“I have decided to call my parents to the UAE instead, so we can still spend some time together, without the stress. We just want to be with our loved ones.”
Millions of nationals from India and Pakistan have made the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries their home. Similarly, thousands of tourists also travel between the two regions every day.
Daniyal Khan, a UAE resident who frequently travels to Karachi, said he was concerned about flight disruptions due to the escalating situation.
“I was stuck in Pakistan for months during Covid-19 and I was concerned about not being able to travel again, if the two countries ban all airlines from operating in their airspace,” he said.
Abu Al Hassan, who is planning to travel to Pakistan ahead of Eid Al Adha, said he is currently finalising his travel plans.
However, he expressed concern that if the situation between the two countries deteriorates and results in a prolonged closure of airspace, he may face serious difficulty returning to the UAE in time to resume work.
He mentioned that he has decided not to purchase a flight ticket until the geopolitical situation is clear and the war clouds are gone.
“I hope sanity will prevail and the situation will improve for the good of the people on both sides.”
Hina, a journalism student from Srinagar who currently lives in London and holds a UAE Golden Visa, shared her ordeal as she remains stranded in Kashmir, where she was visiting her parents.
“I had planned my return from Srinagar to Dubai on May 10 and then onward to London, but everything is uncertain now,” said Hina.
“I received an email from Air India stating that, given the prevailing situation in Srinagar, they are offering complimentary rescheduling and a full refund on cancellations. I honestly don’t know what to do.”
Hina, who normally transits through Dubai, where her sister lives, before heading back to the UK, said she has been forced to postpone her return.
Amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, residents in Kashmir are living in a state of fear and uncertainty, with many avoiding travel and staying indoors due to the prevailing security situation.
“We are not even going out of our homes. We don’t know what’s happening outside or what’s going to happen next. Every time there’s an escalation, fear grips everyone. It’s become so common that the moment something happens, we are all scared. The worst part is that citizens are the ones who suffer the most,” she added.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.