In a case that has many people scratching their heads, a Norwegian Air Shuttle flight that left Dubai more than three weeks ago is stuck in Iran.
The Boeing 737 MAX left Dubai on December 14 bound for Oslo, but was forced to land in the south-central city of Shiraz after suspected engine trouble.
With 192 passengers and crew members on board, pilots on Flight DY1933 decided to perform a "safety landing" in Shiraz after experiencing technical difficulties, a spokesman for Norwegian Air Shuttle told AFP.
Stranded passengers were able to fly to Oslo the following day, but the story is more complicated for the jet, which has now been on Iranian soil for almost a month.
Mechanics face delays in getting the parts needed to repair the brand-new plane, and the airline cannot send parts because of international sanctions re-imposed on Iran by the Trump administration last year. Aircraft sales, including parts and services, are banned under the renewed sanctions.
The airline refused to comment, stating only that several options are being considered to get the plane back in the air.
A passenger travelling on the flight told The National that an hour after leaving Dubai, passengers were told that an emergency landing was being made in Shiraz, because of low oil pressure in one of the engines.
After landing, travellers waited in the terminal for six hours before being taken to a hotel. "Emotions were high at the hotel when the promised evening flight didn't materialise and we were told we would spend the night in Iran. Many argued that we should have been put on a quick flight back to Dubai, rather than kept in Iran overnight," the passenger explained.
Norwegian Air is Norway’s largest airline and the third-largest low-cost airline in Europe. According to aviation site AirLive.net, this is the first time a Norwegian passenger aircraft has ever landed in Iran.
The incident prompted social media posts, with one New York-based user tweeting:
An Iranian user tweeted: “Iran has become a Bermuda Triangle that feeds on planes."
Some passengers on the flight were concerned that they might face future travel complications when visiting the US after stopping in Iran. Since 2015, anyone who has travelled to an 'at risk' country (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen), has been excluded from the US visa waiver scheme.
However, The National's source confirmed that passengers did not receive stamps on arrival at Shiraz Shahid Dastgheib International Airport, and at least two passengers from the flight have since visited the US with no problems.
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Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
