Travel plans can fall apart without warning. And for one Indian passenger trying to get home to Mumbai, a routine journey suddenly turned into a stressful ordeal far away from home.
As tensions escalated in parts of the Middle East, Sunil Gupta said he was left stranded at Moscow’s airport after his connecting flight via Abu Dhabi was cancelled at the last minute. He shared his experience on X, explaining that there had been no prior alert about the cancellation, leaving him confused and unsure about his next steps.
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What made the situation harder, he said, was the complete lack of support on the ground. Hours passed, but Gupta claimed he received little guidance from airline representatives or his travel booking agency. And being stuck in Russia came with another problem - he couldn’t access money. Due to ongoing financial restrictions, international Visa and Mastercard cards reportedly weren’t working, cutting him off from funds.
“I don’t even have cash for food or water,” he wrote, describing how quickly anxiety began to set in.
According to Gupta, airport staff repeatedly asked him to contact customer care instead of offering direct assistance. He said calls went unanswered for hours while he waited inside the airport, growing increasingly worried about how he would manage the situation.
So he turned to social media for help.
In an emotional post, Gupta tagged the Embassy of India in Moscow, Etihad Airways, and his travel platform, hoping someone would notice. He said his family back home was waiting for news while he struggled to reassure them that he was safe.
The post soon began circulating widely online, drawing attention from officials. The Indian embassy responded publicly, asking him to share his contact details. Later, authorities confirmed they had connected with him and that the issue had been addressed.
Etihad Airways’ guest relations team also replied, stating that they were looking into the matter. India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation stepped in as well, requesting his travel details through a direct message to help resolve the situation.
What started as an ordinary travel day became a reminder of how quickly international journeys can unravel when global tensions disrupt flights. And sometimes, being stranded isn’t just about a delayed trip — it’s about feeling completely alone in a foreign place while waiting for help to arrive.