Indian badminton star PV Sindhu faced an unexpected travel disruption on Saturday when she got stuck at Dubai airport while heading to Birmingham for the All England Championships.
With rising tensions linked to strikes involving the US, Israel, and Iran, flights and airspace across parts of the region were affected, leading to cancellations and delays.
Sindhu posted a video from the airport showing heavy crowds and passengers waiting for updates, saying flights were cancelled until further notice. She also shared a message describing fear after seeing and hearing explosions and missile-related activity in the region.
India’s badminton authorities said they were in touch with Sindhu and airline officials. Other Indian players had already reached Birmingham, including the men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
The All England Open 2026 is scheduled to begin on March 3 in Birmingham.