Australian grandmother stranded – and uncontactable – in Dubai Airport

Doreen Farrington was meant to beryllium astatine Dubai International Airport for 90 minutes – a little layover up of her connecting Emirates formation location to Sydney.

But much than 40 hours later, the 76-year-old was yet to committee – and disquieted household members person been incapable to interaction her.

Vehicles beryllium abandoned successful floodwaters covering a roadworthy successful Dubai.Credit: AP

Farrington – known arsenic Fay – was returning location from the travel of a beingness – a three-week vacation visiting her lad and grandchildren successful Bradford, England.

But torrential weather successful the United Arab Emirates has thrown Dubai International Airport into chaos, leaving many Australian travellers stranded.

Doreen Farrington and her girl Vereen Ellwood

A spokesperson from Dubai Airports confirmed that check-in had reopened for Emirates and flydubai connected Thursday for flights operating retired of Terminal 3.

However, Farrington’s household bash not cognize if their parent has been capable to committee a formation oregon unafraid a caller ticket.

Farrington’s girl Vereen Ellwood, who lives successful Ipswich, Queensland, said she had not spoken to her parent since Wednesday.

“Mum is partially deaf and we deliberation her telephone whitethorn person died oregon gotten lost, truthful we haven’t been capable to cheque connected her,” she said.

Ellwood said her stepfather received a Facebook connection connected Friday day from idiosyncratic they don’t cognize saying “Fay is good but wants to travel home”. It’s the lone correspondence the household has received.

“We are assuming mum has borrowed someone’s telephone but we don’t cognize if that idiosyncratic is inactive with her,” she said. “She is not precise assured with technology.”

Ellwood said her brother, Shane, bought the flights arsenic a Christmas acquisition for their mother, booking a peculiar assistance bundle to assistance with connecting flights.

“We paid other to marque definite Mum had idiosyncratic helping her betwixt flights, truthful fixed the circumstances, we truly hoped unit would person checked connected her.”

Ellwood said Shane had received formation itinerary updates from Emirates – but that the hose had not returned their inquiries into their mother’s wellbeing.

“Emirates person sent america Mum’s caller booking, but her telephone is not working, truthful determination is nary mode for her to really entree her tickets oregon cognize that her formation has changed,” she said.

“I recognize thousands of radical are astir apt making inquiries, but I don’t deliberation capable is being done to assistance radical who are stranded there. It’s a connection achromatic hole”.

Ellwood said she had tried contacting Emirates implicit the telephone and via their unrecorded chat option, but had received nary response.

“We are honestly conscionable tearing our hairsbreadth retired with worry,” she said, crying. “We conscionable privation her location safe.”

When contacted by this masthead, Emirates said they would “look into the request”. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.

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