'War outside': Indian CEO’s flight turns back mid-air, leaves him stranded in Kuwait

A routine international business trip took an unexpected turn for an Indian entrepreneur after escalating tensions in the Middle East disrupted air travel across the Gulf.

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

In a detailed LinkedIn post, Varnwal recounted how he boarded a 3am flight from Delhi to Kuwait before heading for his onward 9am connection to JFK airport in New York.

“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.

About 45 minutes into the journey, the pilot announced that Iraqi airspace had abruptly closed and the aircraft would have to head back to Kuwait.

Check out the post here.

“Was bit annoying at first… did not realise the mess I was getting into,” he wrote, adding that he initially assumed it was a minor issue and expected only a short delay.

However, after landing back in Kuwait, the scale of the disruption became clear. Airline staff reportedly had limited information as tensions escalated across the region.

Kuwait Airways later issued a revised departure time of 1:30 pm and reissued boarding passes. But hours later, the situation worsened.

“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.

Describing the airport scenes, Varnwal said transit passengers were left waiting while local travellers returned home. He estimated that nearly 1,000 people were stranded.

“It was pure chaos - over a thousand people, a fleet of buses, and police everywhere trying to keep the peace,” he said, while praising authorities for handling the situation.

By 10 pm, passengers were reportedly checked into multiple 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, thanking friends and the Indian Embassy for support.

His experience reflects the wider travel disruptions affecting thousands worldwide as flights are rerouted or grounded amid rising regional tensions.

(This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)