Around 4 p.m. in Dubai last week, I was inside an Emirates Boeing 777 plane bound for Manila, waiting patiently for my flight home.
I would dose off every now and then only to wake up to see the exact same thing outside the window. Our hulking aircraft has not moved an inch.
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into an hour; and then another half hour more.
I later learned that our plane – and dozens and dozens of flights more – could not leave Dubai International Airport because the Pakistani airspace, which was part of the route to Manila, was closed as a result of the Pakistan-India tensions.
The two nations are engaged in an ongoing military confrontation yet again in the disputed Kashmir region, triggered by a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian police last month.
A Pakistan militant group has claimed responsibility. Weeks later, the Indian Air Force conducted an airstrike inside Pakistan. Pakistan, for its part, claimed that it had captured Indian pilots and shot down two Indian jets for unauthorized use of the Pakistani airspace.
Thus, true enough, our captain said the Pakistani airspace was closed and quite a number of flights had to be diverted.
In all, our flight was delayed for one and a half hours.
Global village
On the plane were hundreds of overseas Filipinos who have come from all over the world and were eager to go home.
We ended up flying through the Indian airspace, which was a longer route of about 20 minutes.
I was told by a flight attendant that we had already consumed a lot of fuel because of the detour. Other airlines companies had to take this route, too.
I didn’t realize that a problem far from home could affect us. It really has become a global village and each country’s problem becomes our own, too.
The Pakistani-Indian conflict erupted last month, and while it seems too foreign, we are already affected.
The situation seems to be easing now, but the tensions between the two Southeast Asian adversaries – ongoing for decades – have pushed the two nations closer to conflict now more than ever. They have also upgraded their military capabilities in case a full blown war erupts.
There’s a lesson to be learned here.
Any conflict, even if it is seemingly far from home, could drastically affect us and I’m not just talking about a delayed flight, although that’s a very concrete example.
Tens of thousands of Filipinos all over the world will be affected by any conflict or global disorder – whether it’s the India-Pakistan conflict or the US-China trade war.
At the very least, airlines will be affected and such tensions could mean trouble for airline companies and their passengers.
They will eventually have to raise air fares because of high fuel costs and passengers, naturally all will be affected.
The Duterte administration should be prepared to embrace overseas Filipinos in case they will be forced to go home when a problem erupts in their host countries.
Stuck in snow
The night before my flight to Dubai, I was also stuck in Zurich after my original flight home was cancelled. No, it wasn’t just delayed, but cancelled altogether.
I was taking a warm shower at the Zurich Airport, ready and excited to finally go home after more than a week in cold Switzerland when the announcement came.
The A380 plane encountered some technical trouble. Emirates Airlines wanted to fly in a Boeing 777 from Sweden as a substitute aircraft, but it was not possible. Sweden’s cold snap shut down the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport.
Just my luck this had to happen at a time when I badly needed to go home. Work was waiting and schedules at home would be severely disrupted if I didn’t make it back on time. Besides, I was running out of underwear. But I had no choice. Nothing could change my situation. I had no choice but to surrender to it. I was surprisingly calm amidst the chaos.
But what really surprised me was that my fellow passengers were all calm and patient at 10 in the evening, even if we were all hungry, tired, and sleepy. Everyone waited in line for our hotel and food vouchers and everyone helped each other, too, letting women and children be the first in line.
It’s a lesson I’ll remember in times of adversities –blowing one’s top won’t change the situation; keeping calm will at least give one a good sleep.
Hello, Manila
After more than 24 hours, I am finally back in Manila. At last, our plane was about to descend and I saw the familiar lights of the dense city, the polluted waters and the smog.
At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, I was pleasantly surprised that going through Terminal 3 was a breeze. I tried the e-immigration gates for the first time and it was a very pleasant experience for me. I was out in minutes.
Bravo to our airport authorities and to the Bureau of Immigration. We should have more of these gates.
Around 5 in the afternoon, I was finally able to exit the airport doors and the suffocating familiar heat of Manila greeted me.
I smiled and my heart skipped a beat. I’ve never been so happy to be home.
Iris Gonzales’ email address is eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales.