Due to the war in Iran, Bob Hogeveen from Zuidlaren is stranded in Qatar. His return flight from Thailand turned around over the region, after which the airspace was closed. Since then, he has been stuck with thousands of others in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Bird lover Hogeveen traveled through Thailand with friends for a month to photograph special species. “We saw several trogons, which are jungle birds. And also a few species of kingfishers and forest birds. So that was a success.” Satisfied and tired from all the impressions, they started the return journey, with a transfer in Qatar. “We left Doha on Saturday at 7.30 am, very happy, nothing was wrong. Had a great time, saw a lot.”
But after about an hour in the air, the situation abruptly changed. Hogeveen saw on the screen in the plane that the plane was making a sharp turn. “We flew back to Doha without landing anywhere. A little later the captain reported that there was unrest in the region and that we were no longer allowed to fly over Iraq and Iran.”
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