A Dumfries and Galloway family’s once-in-a-lifetime holiday has turned into a six-week ordeal after Middle East airspace closures cancelled their Emirates flights not once, but twice. Lori Carnochan, her husband, two young daughters and elderly parents now face mounting costs, missed school and lost income while waiting on a remote South Island farm.
The nightmare began when escalating attacks between Iran, Israel and their proxies forced repeated shutdowns of Dubai airspace, Emirates’ main hub. Thousands of travellers worldwide are now stranded, but for this Scottish family the personal toll is heartbreaking.
How War in the Middle East Reaches a Quiet Farm Near Christchurch
Lori and her family flew out in February for a four-week reunion with her brother who emigrated to New Zealand 21 years ago.
They swam in glacier-fed rivers, watched dolphins in Akaroa, jet-boated across Lake Brunner and cheered Scotland’s Six Nations matches surrounded by All Blacks memorabilia. Perfect memories.
Then, days before their 8 March departure, Dubai routes collapsed. Emirates cancelled everything. The family rebooked for 16 March, swallowing an extra nine days and hoping the worst was over.
It wasn’t.
On the second attempt, they reached Christchurch airport, cleared security, and settled in the departure lounge with boarding passes in hand. One hour before takeoff, the tannoy crackled: Dubai airspace closed again after an Iranian drone reportedly struck a fuel facility. Flight cancelled.
They handed back boarding passes, collected luggage and started over. Another £300 for a city hotel and dinner. Another wave of tears.
The Hidden “Act of War” Clause That Leaves Travellers Unprotected
Like countless others, the family discovered too late that most standard travel insurance policies exclude claims triggered by “war, act of war or conflict”.
Border Travel in Dumfries offered two painful choices:
- Pay an extra £1,000 per person to reroute via Malaysia or the United States
- Wait for Emirates to resume Dubai flights and hope for the best
They chose to wait.
Lori’s husband, who had booked separately through an online agency, spent days in virtual queues only to speak to AI chatbots. He eventually bought an entirely new ticket and is still chasing a refund.
So far the detour has cost them £4,500 on top of the original holiday, with no insurance help in sight.
Thousands More in the Same Boat Across New Zealand
Social media groups are exploding with similar stories. British, Irish, German and Scandinavian families booked on Emirates or Etihad are stuck in Queenstown, Wanaka, Christchurch and Auckland.
Some have burned through annual leave. Others have children missing weeks of school. Self-employed travellers watch earnings evaporate.
One Edinburgh couple told BBC Scotland they have spent an extra NZ$8,000 (£3,900) and still have no confirmed flight until early May.
New Zealand tourism operators are doing their best, offering discounted accommodation and activities, but farm stays and spare rooms are filling fast.
When Will They Actually Get Home?
Emirates has not announced a firm resumption date for affected routes. Some services are slowly restarting via detours, but seats are scarce and prices are sky-high.
Alternative one-way tickets via Singapore, Doha or Los Angeles are running £2,000–£3,500 per person when they appear at all.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday the UK government is “working closely with airlines” but cannot force carriers to fly through closed airspace.
For Lori’s family, every morning begins with checking the Emirates app and every evening ends with the same unanswered question: when will we get home to Dumfries and Galloway?
They know they are among the lucky ones, safe on a beautiful farm with kind relatives, breathtaking mountains outside the window and cousins who don’t want them to leave.
Yet their daughters need routine. Their parents need medication delivered to Scotland. Their businesses need them back.
This is the human cost when distant wars reach across the globe and ground ordinary families thousands of miles from the fighting.
One loose drone, one closed runway in Dubai, and a Scottish childhood holiday becomes an open-ended exile in paradise.
If you’re stuck too, or you’ve made it home against the odds, tell us your story in the comments. Use #StrandedKiwi on X and Instagram so others know they’re not alone.
