Tourists who have been stuck in the UAE since aircraft were grounded last month are hoping to book a ticket home next week, following the announcement that local airlines would operate limited repatriation flights. Phil Robson was able to secure a ticket to the UK and will leave for Heathrow on an Emirates flight at 9.40am on Sunday. The 53-year-old Briton has lived in Dubai for 12 years but started a new job with a start-up company on February 5. After coronavirus spread across the world and began to severely effect the global economy, Mr Robson was let go. “Their platform was not going to be very viable any more until Covid-19 is over, [so] they released me saying they don’t want to spend money on full time employees for something that will fail,” he said. Mr Robson, who is also a qualified fitness instructor, applied for a tourist visa and began looking for a new job. "I had three good interviews, but job offers were put on hold because of Covid-19,” he said. To avoid eating into his savings, he began working as a freelance personal trainer to cover his daily expenses and rent. “That only lasted five days before they shut down all sports outlets [in Dubai].” He told <em>The National </em>he would like to stay in Dubai but could not afford his rent so chose to leave. “I tried to fly back [to the UK], but then they cancelled all flights.” Mr Robson contacted the UK embassy and told them of his situation. They put him on a priority list of people to fly back to the UK once flights become available again. “I got a call [on Thursday] asking if I wanted to leave on Sunday.” The embassy official said they booked all priority cases, including people with chronic illnesses who need to travel for their medication and those who are financially unable to stay in the UAE, on the first flight out on Sunday. He was charged Dh2,500 for his ticket, and paid extra for excess luggage. Despite the stress and financial restrains, Mr Robson said he feels grateful for the support he received from his friends during the past few weeks. “I have friend who did shopping for me and got it delivered, I had people make meals for me; so the community spirit within the UAE has been absolutely amazing,” he said. Robert Jenkins, a boat captain, has also been booked on a flight to London next week. The Briton, 52, has been working in the UAE for more than two years at Maritime Craft Services, a company that provides support vessels for oil and gas fields. Once Emirates announced it would be operating flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels and Zurich, Mr Jenkins immediately called his company to book him a ticket. “The head of recruitment at my firm went to Emirates’ website and booked me on April 7,” he said. Like most offshore work, Mr Jenkins’ job required him to work in six-week stints, followed by six-week holiday. “When I’m done [with the six-week shift] I normally go to Abu Dhabi airport and fly home for six weeks.” The last time he tried to do that was on March 25. “I was booked on a flight on Gulf Air to London through Bahrain, but was brought back to the hotel and told the flight was cancelled.” Since then he has been waiting for a chance to travel home. He is in a particular hurry to return to care for his 89-year-old father who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “He is a person who is seriously at risk of Covid-19.” Once home, Mr Jenkins will undergo 14 days of mandatory self-isolation. After that he plans to resume his work as a crew member at the Mumbles Lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (NRLI) – a job he does every time he returns to the UK. If given the opportunity to return to the UAE for work, Mr Jenkins said he would happily do so, if possible. “The UAE government has been great and really informative with the TV announcements,” he said. Etihad has also announced it will operate a “regular service” to several destinations starting with Seoul Incheon, and then others such as Melbourne, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta and Amsterdam. The destinations are subject to government approvals.
