Mar 02, 2026
3 min read
Chaos due to attacks on Iran, a dozen fellow citizens stranded in India.
“We tourists in Bergamo are stuck at the biggest plane stop since COVID-19.”
THE REPORT.Chaos due to the attack on Iran, ten citizens landed in India."Let's separate small groups to find return flights, but we have to wait. And the prices will go up a lot."
Stuck in a hotel in Bangalore with canceled flights that apparently won't leave and other tickets bought for flights leaving in a few days: broken itineraries around the world hoping the heavens will improve.I'm stuck in the biggest global air traffic jam since Covid: I, along with nine other people, are due to leave Bergamo from the southern Indian city on February 28th with a stopover in Dubai and then arrive in Milan Malpensa on March 1st.
"After a vacation around Tamil Nadu in endless temples and gardens, a city full of history and beauty, the news of the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel was a cold rain that immediately warned us."
After spending our holidays in Tamil Nadu amidst temples and endless tea plantations, cities full of history and beauty, the news of the US and Israel attack on Iran was a cold chill that immediately put us on alert.From the news we read on websites and social media, we immediately knew that the situation could be serious and when we arrived at the airport early we learned that our flight to Dubai had been cancelled: “Emirates was unable to save us: it had no aircraft in India and its base is Dubai.”She stopped flights for several days - explains Pinangela Foppa Pedretti, who travels with her daughters and sisters.“We immediately realized that the situation was serious and looked for alternative solutions.”The help of Deputy Alessandro Sorte was a coincidence: shortly afterwards we were contacted by both the Italian Embassy in India and the Consulate in Bangalore with Consul Giandomenico Milano, who contacted us personally.Along with his staff, he activated two local tour operators in a complex search for return flights.“We divided ourselves into small groups to find free seats,” explains Letizia Bonetti.“However, the flights were booked at night and most of the take-off from Air India was considered canceled or at risk of being canceled the next day and so we had to try again on new routes.
An urgent search for an airplane
Ten of us searched for flights in the website, with local tour operators, at the airport: "Heavy schedule and effort after a sleepless night - continues Anna Foppa Pedretti -. Finally, my group of 4 must leave on March 3 through Shanghai to Milan on March 5."And Serena Bonetti will fly alone with the British on the 4th day going through Delhi and London: the same route on Pakistan for me and Marisa Ravelli, on March 5, Letizia Bonetti and her mother Pinangela will leave Bangalore, and those British hours were free.Letizia Bonetti explained - We need to quickly stop the flights, between the registrations on the places, the requests and the consular travel director.The flights were burned on other platforms that were not working at that time: Switzerland, Turkey were still sold, the prices went up and we found flights at zero prices.
Commitment of the Italian Embassy
Knowing all this that we are lucky and we are not in Dubai, where the warning is maximum: "We are still in uncertainty and these days we are like floating, waiting for the next geopolitical events," continues Federico Preda.Meanwhile, our group remains in contact with the Consulate and Alessandro Sorte for further security in the hope that all our flights are confirmed.The next advice is to wait for the evolution of the situation affecting thousands of flights and passengers: there is talk of canceling 5 thousand trips in 24 hours."Here in India is a team at the service of Italians and Italian interests - Italian Ambassador to India Antonio Bartoli commented -: When a problem or opportunity arises, our compatriots should know that the entire network of embassies and consulates is a reliable point of reference."
A sense of loss and extreme uncertainty that became my travel companion in a matter of hours, waiting for new check-ins, messages from contacted airlines, new schedules and too uncertain airspace to ensure a return that is unfortunately still far away.
By now the fatigue is making itself felt and the positive feelings of the holiday have already disappeared: as a group we are helped to a hotel near the airport, CNN is always on and the fear is high, our eyes are on the war news, the explosions in the Gulf and an atmosphere of absolute uncertainty that doesn't help.News, new flight schedules and a return to airspace that is too dangerous to believe is unfortunately still a long way off.
