A group of students and a professor from Queen’s University are stranded in Qatar after their flight home to Canada was forced to turn around amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Stephen Lougheed, a biology professor at Queen’s University, was leading a field course in Sri Lanka with 16 students and a co-teacher. The group departed Colombo in the early hours of Feb. 28, flying Qatar Airways with a short layover in Doha before boarding a flight to Toronto.
However, roughly an hour into that flight, the plane was abruptly turned around.
“I think we were just beginning to fly into Iranian airspace,” Lougheed said. “The captain did come on and say, ‘We have to return to Doha … ‘ I think there was some notion that a conflict had arisen.”
Upon landing back in Doha, the group was met with hundreds, or possibly thousands, of other stranded passengers facing similar flight diversions. After a long wait at the airport, the group was provided with emergency visas and hotel accommodations by the airline, where they have been sheltering in place ever since.
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“There’s no certainty because it’s a closed airspace … because there are still missiles and drones flying,” Lougheed said. “The recommendation from the Qatar government, the recommendation from the Canadian government, is to shelter in place.”
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Despite the stress and uncertainty, Lougheed praised the students, who range in age from their early 20s to early 30s.
“This is a remarkable group of students,” he said. “They’re incredibly helpful to one another. They communicate very supportively.”
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He added that Queen’s University has been discussing potential academic accommodations for students who are missing assignments and experiencing stress ahead of midterm exams.
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Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen issued a statement confirming that Global Affairs Canada is in contact with the group to offer assistance.
“The safety and security of Canadians remains the top priority for the Government of Canada,” Gerretsen said. “Minister [Anita] Anand recently provided an update on the efforts the Government is undertaking to secure block bookings, limited charter flights, as well as ground transportation services in certain areas.”
Gerretsen echoed the advice for Canadians in the region to shelter in place until travel plans are confirmed, and urged those needing help to contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre at 1-613-996-8885.
Meanwhile, Lougheed confirmed the group has been in direct contact with the Canadian embassy in Qatar. The professor says his biggest fear is that the ordeal will discourage young people from travelling abroad and experiencing different cultures.
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“I just don’t want this experience to, you know, the lesson to come from this is we shouldn’t leave,” Lougheed said. “I think empathy begets understanding, and I think that’s what these field courses do.”