Holidaymakers on Abu Dhabi's first evacuation flight describe the terrifying experience as surreal.

Holidaymakers on the inaugural flights departing Abu Dhabi since Saturday have recounted their close‑up experiences as hostilities broke out between Iran and its Gulf neighbours.

With thousands of services suspended throughout the Middle East, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers, Britain has started drafting evacuation schemes for a portion of the roughly 300,000 UK nationals in the area.

While those plans are under development, a handful of flights have managed to leave the United Arab Emirates, among them EY067, which touched down at Heathrow shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday.

When passengers emerged through arrivals about 45 minutes later, they spoke of the terror as missiles streaked overhead.

“We could hear the blasts. At times we felt them … and then black ash fell onto the breakfast,” recalled Pen Harrison, a member of a group of friends on a cycling tour of Sri Lanka who had a stop‑over in Abu Dhabi.

Sahib Matharu, 31, of London, also transiting through Abu Dhabi, said: “We were on edge the whole time. It felt surreal.

“On the aircraft, just as we were about to depart, we were watching the news, seeing another strike, and wondering – will they let us go? The uncertainty was intense.”

Every passenger on the flight who spoke to CuriosityNews said they saw missile interceptions from their hotel.

After two nights, the airline sent a text message. Passengers were given only minutes to descend to the terminal and board.

Laura and Nikki, mothers of 19‑year‑olds Lila and Ross, were stunned when they learned of the situation. Their children were on holiday in Thailand and had expected only a brief hour‑long layover in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s terrifying,” Laura said. “They’re 19, they shouldn’t have to endure this. They had no idea when they would return home.”

Nikki added: “It makes you realise how unstable the region can be.”

The UAE authorities quickly issued warning alerts to residents, which reassured many British tourists about their circumstances.

One alert advised staying away from windows, a precaution that Ed and Jane from Coventry understood when they arrived at Abu Dhabi airport and saw shattered glass. “It’s put me off travelling for a while,” Jane remarked.

The pair were relieved not to be in Dubai, where they usually vacation. There the damage was greater, with missiles striking locations such as the Jebel Ali port and the Burj Al Arab, a landmark of Dubai.

UAE officials have confirmed at least three fatalities from the attacks. It is still uncertain whether Iran was directly targeting hotels and other sites.

Aside from this flight, the skies over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar remained virtually empty on Monday, according to flight‑tracking service Flightradar24.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told UK media that 102,000 British citizens had registered their presence.