Two Perth County friends are stuck in Qatar after Iranian airstrikes forced their flight home to turn back.
Brenda Kitching, 76, of St. Marys and Ric Benjamin, 76, of Stratford had been traveling through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam for eight weeks. After a layover in Doha, Qatar, they were en route home when, about an hour into their flight to Toronto, the captain announced they would return to Doha.
"We arrived for our stopover on Friday evening...and a little over an hour in the air, the pilot came on and said we have airspace issues and have to turn back," Kitching said. "Once we landed, we really did not get a lot of information...about five o’clock in the afternoon, they suggested we line up to get a hotel. The line up was huge."
The travelers have since been staying in a hotel arranged by the airline and are being assisted by Global Affairs Canada. "They’re saying they’re doing whatever they can, but they recommend that we stick with our airline...They think that might be dangerous [to try another route], so they’re telling us to stay put," Kitching said.
Despite the disruption, Kitching said the group is coping well. "The highlight of our day is going for meals...We are safe and well cared for. We have lovely accommodation and wonderful meals," she said.
Officials have warned it could be several more days before airspace reopens and the travelers can return to Canada.
