Pune man praises Qatar Airways for food, five star hotel support amid Middle East crisis

Pune man thanks Qatar Airways for support. (Image credit: X/@r3dash)

• Pune techie commends Qatar staff for care during Doha delays
• Stranded passengers got food coupons, hotel stays, and updates
• Middle East airspace closures caused major flight disruptions

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Amid rising tensions in the Middle East that halted flights and stranded travellers, a Pune-based tech creator revealed a rare experience of peace. After finding himself stuck in Doha because of regional airspace closures triggered by the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, Ershad Kaleebullah tagged Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport in an X.

On Monday, the Middle East stayed on edge as Iran expanded its retaliation against the joint US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior figures.

Ershad termed it "an appreciation post", as he described the arrangements made after flight disruptions. He wrote that “Food coupons were distributed to everyone at the airport. You could just redeem them at the food court. For all meals, no less.”

He said he and others initially planned to stay in the airport lounge until things improved. “We had decided to stay at the lounge until the airspace opened. In fact, we went off to sleep at 10:30pm itself. At 12:30am we were all woken up by the lounge staff and asked to move to the transfer desk. The entire airport was getting evacuated, including the staff. Everything was handled smoothly,” he shared.

“Every single staff was attentive and answering questions with a smile. Even if they didn’t have answers they made us feel very, very comfortable,” he said, praising the staff’s conduct amid uncertainty.

This is an appreciation post for @qatarairways and @HIAQatar.

- Food coupons were distributed to everyone at the airport. You could just redeem them at the food court. For all meals, no less. - We had decided to stay at the lounge until the airspace opened. In fact, we went… pic.twitter.com/ReWr1PDB2U — Ershad Kaleebullah (@r3dash) March 1, 2026

Passengers were later shifted to luxury hotels in Doha, “Rooms arranged across different 5 star properties across Doha city. With breakfast, lunch and dinner all taken care of. And, we have assurance that stay and food will be taken care of until the airspace is shut,” he wrote.

Travellers received updates with help from hotel partners such as Pullman Hotels. “Folks at the hotel are the sweetest too. Incredibly kind, responsive, and with a sense of humour completely intact despite the pressure and stress,” he added.

The post included a photo featuring Varun Krishnan, the Indian founder known for his viral mid-air diversion video from Doha.

US, Israel-Iran war

Widespread disruptions have hit international travel, with hundreds of flights cancelled at major Indian airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, after several Middle Eastern countries shut their airspace.