Simona Musu and Dean Scheepers, originally from South Africa and now residing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, arrived in the Maldives on 22/2. They planned a beach wedding before a civil ceremony later this summer.

"Overjoyed" and "glowing" were the feelings the two travelers experienced when they landed at Male-Velana International Airport in the Maldives. A representative holding a sign with their names greeted them, then escorted them to a seaplane bound for their resort.

Their happiness lasted only one week until they returned to the airport. This time, their mood was much darker. Their flight back to the Netherlands was canceled following a 28/2 airstrike by the US and Israel targeting Iran. Simona Musu and Dean Scheepers became two of hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded by the conflict.

Simona Musu and Dean Scheepers taking wedding photos on a beach in the Maldives. Photo: CNN

By 2/3, hundreds of tourists crowded Male-Velana Airport, charging phones, tending to children, and sleeping wherever they could find space. "No one looked like they had just enjoyed a holiday on a paradise island", Dean said.

He and his fiancee were also stunned, having just concluded a week of luxurious relaxation at a 5-star resort. They still recalled their wedding on the resort's private white sand beach, complete with traditional Maldivian drums and an aisle strewn with rose petals.

Instead of returning to Amsterdam, where family and friends awaited to celebrate with them, the two travelers faced a much less pleasant reality: no accommodation, no outbound flights, and no idea when or how they would return home.

Simona described their week-long getaway as "wonderful", the wedding day perfect and beautiful, with everything proceeding as planned. But immediately afterward, everything spiraled, making her feel as though she was trapped in a nightmare.

Two weeks after the conflict erupted, global air travel remained severely disrupted, creating the worst tourism crisis since the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, approximately 52,000 flights in the Middle East region had been canceled by 13/3 since the airstrikes began, affecting 6 million passengers. While the situation remains volatile, some airports have resumed operations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and King Khalid International Airport near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

Before the crisis, the Middle East had become a key region for global aviation, thanks to the development of major transit hubs like Dubai, home to Emirates; Abu Dhabi, headquarters of Etihad; and Doha, the center for Qatar Airways. Cirium reported that approximately one in five passengers traveling between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in 2025 used Middle Eastern airlines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that airlines in the region will transport about 240 million passengers in 2026.

The island where the couple held their wedding and honeymooned in the Maldives. Photo: CNN

However, the immediate future is uncertain as many airlines struggle to manage canceled flights and stranded passengers. Qatar Airways has been among the most severely affected. Flight tracking site FlightAware data showed that from 7 to 11/3, 69% to 81% of the airline's flights were canceled daily, totaling nearly 2,200 flights.

This was the exact situation Musu and Scheepers endured. Their flight was rescheduled and then canceled a total of five times, transforming their joyful honeymoon into a "prolonged honeymoon disaster" lasting nearly three weeks, three times longer than their planned stay.

Each day, they spent hours online searching for information and messaging airline customer service to find alternative options. Some choices were "sky-high", costing over USD 3,000 for a one-way ticket. Cheaper options required multiple transfers and extensive travel. One itinerary Simona found had an affordable fare but involved a total travel time of 56 hours to get home.

Visas also became an issue, as many countries, including China and India, required transit visas, limiting their potential routes.

Currently, the competition for flight tickets remains "fierce", according to the two travelers. Dean stated that everything happened too quickly for them to react.

"Even if we saw a ticket, it would be gone a few seconds later", he said. Some countries, including the Maldives, organized repatriation flights, but both South African travelers were unsuccessful in securing a spot.

Flights on 4/3 at Velana International Airport, Maldives were all canceled. Photo: CNN

They currently rely on family and friends for support and meticulously record all additional expenses. Without travel insurance, they placed their hopes on the credit card insurance package used to book their trip. So far, the extra costs incurred by being stranded in "paradise" have reached USD 7,000. The couple also moved to Maafushi island, which offers more affordable hotels than their initial island.

Simona estimated that hundreds of other tourists were also stranded in the Maldives.

Since arriving in Maafushi nearly two weeks ago, they have stayed in three different hotels. One of these was windowless and fully booked, making her feel "like being in prison".

Determined to find better accommodation, she explored the island, inquired at various hotels, and eventually found a beachfront hotel for USD 200 per night.

The following days settled into a familiar routine. Dean typically woke around 6 am, spending a few hours searching for flights and checking news updates. After breakfast, Musu continued the search, while Dean returned to his work in the finance department of an insurance company. He was fortunate to have brought his laptop and an "understanding boss". Like Dean, Simona was grateful for her boss's empathy regarding her current situation.

As their stay in the Maldives extended unexpectedly, Dean and Simona tried to remain optimistic. They were grateful not to be stranded in a war zone or indefinitely at an airport, unlike many other travelers, and still had enough money for hotels and meals.

The warm tropical weather was also a plus. "My skin is definitely a lot more tanned", Simona remarked.

In a way, this ordeal strengthened their relationship. Simona said she might have panicked and not known how to overcome this without her husband by her side.

On the afternoon of 13/3, they successfully booked tickets back to the Netherlands for USD 980 per person. The 25-hour journey included a layover in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The two travelers admitted to being quite anxious about flying through the Middle East region. "But we are willing to do anything to get home", Simona said.

Anh Minh (According to CNN)