Uh Oh: Emirates Plane & Crew Stuck In Iran

Intro

Well, there are all sorts of reasons and locations that cause crews to stay in locations longer than usual, but this is a tricky one, and one that must be a little frightening for the crew.

The Details

A couple of days ago, Emirates operated its regular once-daily flight from Dubai to Tehran utilizing a Boeing 777-300ER. The flight pushed back slightly late out of Dubai, and was wheels up around 2:48 am local time, and landed into Tehran at 3:44 am local time (slightly behind schedule).

Emirates uses a Boeing 777-300ER on this route

Well, once the plane had safely taxied into the gate, Israel began launching missiles into Iran, causing the Iranian government to close all airspace.

What was supposed to be just over an hour on the ground for the crew, has now turned into 3 days so far, and the potential for much longer due to this escalation.

What Happens Now?

Obviously, due to airspace closure, the return flight has now been canceled. With that being said, Emirates has a jet stranded in Tehran, and well over 10 crew members (including the flight deck) still in Tehran.

It's a tricky situation to be in at the moment for the crew, since you are stuck in a country that is exchanging missile fire, all while not being really allowed to leave.

I would have to imagine that if the situation gets even worse than it is right now, there has to be some evacuation plan that the airline is arranging (not that I think it will). Perhaps by boat to the North?

Final Thoughts

An Emirates crew and Boeing 777-300ER are currently stranded in Tehran, with Israel and Iran exchanging missile fire. What was supposed to be a roughly one-hour ground stop in Tehran is now going on over 3 days due to Iran closing its airspace. This will be an interesting one to follow, and my hope is that the crew are hanging in there during a difficult and unexpected occurrence.