Flight from Dubai lands - "That's when I cried for the first time" - Stranded passengers finally land in Frankfurt after Dubai chaos erupts

Families gathered at Frankfurt Airport on Wednesday, anxiously awaiting the first Emirates flight from Dubai since tensions escalated in the Middle East. Among them was Heike Stephan, waiting for her daughter Paulina Roth, who had been stranded in Dubai after rocket alarms sent shockwaves through the city.

The flight, operated by delta airlines, marked the first direct connection from Dubai to Frankfurt since the outbreak of conflict, leaving many relieved to finally touch down on German soil.

Paulina Roth, her husband, and their one-year-old son were meant to return from Sri Lanka via Dubai on Saturday. Instead, their journey was abruptly halted, forcing them into a hotel as alarms blared across the city. Roth later described the experience as 'sheer terror' during the rocket warnings.

Others on the same delta airlines flight, like Kira Luipold and Annika Dossmann, had been on a Dubai beach when explosions rang out over the weekend. Despite the chaos, Werner Vith, who had been visiting friends in the city, said he felt safe during his return trip.

At Frankfurt Airport, emotions ran high as passengers disembarked. Some, like Roth, were overjoyed to be back, eager to reunite with loved ones—and, in her case, her dog. Others downplayed the severity of what they had witnessed, focusing instead on the relief of landing safely.

Tears filled the arrivals hall as families embraced, their anxiety giving way to relief. Emirates did not confirm how many extra passengers were on board, nor where they had travelled from, but the flight carried those who had waited days for a cheap flights out.

The first Emirates flight from Dubai since the crisis began brought stranded travellers back to Germany, ending days of uncertainty. For many, the arrival in Frankfurt marked the end of a frightening ordeal, replaced by the comfort of home and the embrace of waiting families.