The floods have created chaos at the airport in Dubai

Agneta Nilsson had a three-hour layover in Dubai.

Now she has been stuck at the airport for over 30 hours with no way to get out.

– It feels like we have ended up in the movie The Terminal, says Agneta.

Earlier this week, Dubai was hit by a year’s worth of rain in the space of a day. The runway at the city’s airport was flooded and all arrivals had to be canceled on Tuesday evening.

During Wednesday, traffic was up and running again, but not without problems.

Agneta Nilsson, who is on her way to Bali for a diving holiday, had a three-hour layover in Dubai. Now she has been there for over 30 hours and does not know when the next flight leaves.

– It’s really chaos and we don’t get any updates at all. Yesterday we stood in line for over seven hours just to get hold of the staff and when we arrived they had no new information to give. I have never experienced this before, she says.

“Screaming at each other” Photo: Agneta Nilsson

Many also find it difficult to handle the heat, and Agneta has seen several people who fainted in line and received help from medical personnel.

– I was about to faint myself. There is also a nasty atmosphere in the queue. People push each other, are angry, shout at the staff and at each other. So we were completely exhausted after yesterday.

Agneta and her traveling party had to spend the night until Friday in the terminal and pictures from the airport show how the travelers laid down on the ground to get some rest.

– We found some benches, but they couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position. So for some it became the floor, but it was difficult to sleep. We have also seen how people quickly build forts with their suitcases to shield themselves.

Can’t get out

Now they are completely unaware of when the next flight takes off for Bali.

– To get out of the airport, you have to have a visa and it takes 24 hours to get it. It feels like we have ended up in the movie The Terminal.

The airport advises travelers not to go there if they have not received a confirmed departure time, they write in a post on X.

“We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these challenges.” Among other things, they have had major problems in getting staff.

Around 134 million travelers flew through the United Arab Emirates last year. 87 million traveled via Dubai, according to CNN.