A British woman has described a 'pretty chaotic' situation at Abu Dhabi airport after flights to London were cancelled amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. Fay McCaul, who was travelling with her seven-year-old son, said sirens sounded in the terminal and passengers received alerts warning them to stay away from windows due to potential missile strikes. She said there was little information from airline staff, leaving travellers confused and stranded for hours.

Passengers were later sent to hotels while waiting for flights to resume, though some were reportedly redirected to Dubai because of limited space. McCaul said she could hear explosions from her hotel and described the lack of information as the most stressful part of the experience. She was ultimately relieved to land safely at London Heathrow, where she was reunited with her partner.

A flight from Abu Dhabi carrying stranded British nationals arrived in London on Monday evening, part of a limited number of departures aimed at clearing transit passengers. Thousands of flights across Middle Eastern airports have been cancelled as tensions intensify between Iran and United States and Israeli forces.

The United Kingdom government said it is monitoring the situation closely, with around 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries targeted by Iran. Officials are urging nationals in the region to register their presence as efforts continue to support those seeking to return home safely.