This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Peter Wozny, head of legal at Btomorrow Ventures, the corporate VC arm of British American Tobacco. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.
I was flying home to Europe over the weekend from a business trip in China, connecting through Qatar, when my journey took an unexpected turn.
I landed in Doha in the early hours of Saturday morning, made my transfer, and boarded the onward flight. We took off as normal at 9:15 a.m. local time.
About an hour later, everything changed. As we approached the airspace between Israel and Iran, the plane abruptly turned around and headed back to Doha.
When we landed, we sat on the tarmac for roughly 90 minutes as the crew tried to figure out the next steps. Eventually, they sent us back into the terminal.
By then, anxiety had started to spread. Passengers were glued to their phones, reading reports that war had broken out that morning.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
Stranded in Doha
Inside the airport, it was chaotic.
Since I was traveling for work, I headed to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, where I ran into my friend Stuart. We ended up waiting there for a few hours, trying to figure out what was happening.
While we were sitting there, we started hearing loud bangs outside. At first, I wasn’t sure what they were. Then it became clear they were missiles being fired. That’s when it really hit me — it felt ominous.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
Qatar Airways moved us to the Fraser Suites in Doha’s West Bay area. It wasn’t great, so I decided to book my own room at the Mondrian Doha, where I’ve been staying since Sunday. It’s about $220 a night.
The authorities have said stranded passengers will be able to claim refunds for their hotel stays from Saturday until the airports reopen.
Once this is all over, I’ll need to submit expenses for flights, taxis, food, the hotel, and even basic things like toiletries and clothes.
For the first four days, we didn’t have our suitcases. I just had the clothes I was wearing and a rucksack with my work laptop.
The explosions woke me up
From the hotel, which overlooks Doha’s port, you can hear the explosions. You’ll be sitting there, and suddenly there are these loud bangs outside. Then you look up and see flashes lighting up the sky. It’s scary.
On Saturday night, I actually slept through most of the noise because I was exhausted.
But at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, the noise woke me up. On other days, it’s sounded more distant, more muffled.
Sunday was noticeably quieter. From what I understand, Qatar has been intercepting missiles over the Gulf before they reach land. It’s not that they haven’t been fired — it’s that they’re being taken out at sea.
Even so, you can still hear them.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
It feels a little bit like Covid
It feels a bit like lockdown. I’m stuck, and I don’t know what’s going on. I look out on the streets, and there are barely any cars driving around.
I feel nervous. A bit unsettled. I do feel safe, but I just don’t know what’s happening.
I’m generally a glass-half-full person, but all my plans have been turned upside down. I don’t know whether it’s going to be a few more days or a few more weeks stuck out here.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
Reassuring friends and family
The hardest part has been friends and family constantly checking in. They’re obviously concerned and want to get updates.
They’re reading things in the news, and there’s misinformation out there. So you’re constantly responding to messages and telling everyone you’re OK.
That’s intense. But when you’re sitting in the hotel, and you’re just hearing explosions around, or you’re looking up, and you just see all the light, the sky kind of lighting up, it’s also a bit scary.
Courtesy of Peter Wozny
From my company’s perspective, the guidance has been straightforward: stay in touch, keep people updated, and don’t leave the hotel unless necessary.
Beyond that, we’re just waiting to see whether the situation escalates.
The last update from Qatar Airways was that there won’t be any flights out of Doha until at least Friday.
I’m now considering getting a car and driving to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and then flying to London from there.
For now, I’m just hoping it doesn’t escalate further, that no one gets hurt, and I can head home soon.
