'Did not realise the mess': Indian CEO stuck in Kuwait as New York bound flight turns back during Middle East conflict

US Iran tensions shut parts of Middle East airspace. (Image credit: Reuters)

• US-Iran tensions led to sudden Middle East airspace closures
• Indian entrepreneur stranded in Kuwait after flight turnaround
• Over 1,000 travelers faced chaos and delays at Kuwait airport

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An Indian entrepreneur’s regular business trip from Delhi to New York turned chaotic after escalating tensions in the Middle East, affecting flights across the Gulf.

Sanjay Varnwal, CEO and co-founder of Spyne, was left stranded in Kuwait after his connecting flight to New York returned mid-air due to sudden airspace closures amid the US-Iran conflict.

Sharing his experience on LinkedIn, Varnwal wrote that he had boarded a 3 am flight from Delhi to Kuwait and was waiting for his 9 am flight to JFK.

“Everything felt completely normal when our flight took off from Kuwait at 8:45 AM on February 28th. I was just settling in, reading a book, totally unknown to what’s happening outside,” he wrote.

The entrepreneur said that about 45 minutes after takeoff, the pilot announced that Iraqi airspace had shut unexpectedly and the flight would return to Kuwait.

“Was bit annoying at first… did not realise the mess I was getting into,” he wrote, adding that he first thought it was a technical glitch and believed he would reach New York only a few hours behind schedule.

However, after landing back in Kuwait, confusion and chaos followed. Varnwal noted that airline officials could not provide clear updates on flights on schedule, while media outlets reported growing conflict in the region.

According to Varnwal, Kuwait Airways later announced a revised departure time of 1:30 pm and reissued boarding passes, but hours went by without any update. “Around 3pm, airline staff said that the planes are grounded and there is no way that flights can operate now. This is when the seriousness of the situation hit me hard. I realised - shit, I am stranded here now,” he wrote.

The entrepreneur said local passengers eventually returned home, but transit travellers remained at the airport. He estimated that nearly 1,000 people were stranded.

At around 5 pm, travellers were informed that hotel accommodation would be arranged. “It was pure chaos - over a thousand people, a fleet of buses, and police everywhere trying to keep the peace,” he said, praising the authorities for managing the situation.

By 10 pm, Varnwal said passengers had been checked into 3-4 hotels across the city. “And this is how one of the most interesting days of my life ended. Now stuck here, waiting for the airspace to open, with war outside!” he wrote, expressing gratitude to friends and the Indian Embassy for their support.

The disruption came amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, as the US-Iran conflict led to sudden airspace closures across the region.