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03/10 13:50 CDT PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi grounded in Qatar amid
intensifying Iran war
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi grounded in Qatar amid intensifying Iran war
By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been left stranded in
Qatar amid the war in the Middle East.
Al-Khelaifi has not been able to fly out of Doha for more than a week, a person
with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The
person spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to
speak publicly.
Flights in and out of the Middle East have been impacted by the Iran war, which
began the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28.
Al-Khelaifi has been trying to return to Paris ahead of PSG's Champions League
round-of-16 match against Chelsea on Wednesday. He was trying to get a flight
out of Doha on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, the person said.
With only limited space available on commercial flights, passengers have been
left waiting until close to takeoff if they have been approved to fly.
The ripple effects of the war have spread across the Middle East and beyond
with Iran launching retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states. It has upended
travel across the region, stranding hundreds of thousands of people.
Airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers going to
Europe, Africa and Asia. Airspace closures have seen many carriers forced to
either cancel flights or shift to longer routes.
Last week U.S. citizens described frustrations and growing fear as they
encountered closed airports and canceled flights.
But there have been signs that flight disruptions are easing.
The British government said Tuesday that the number of commercial flights from
the United Arab Emirates to the U.K. was returning to normal levels.
The Foreign Office said 32 flights operated from Dubai to Britain on Monday and
another 36 were scheduled Tuesday. The British government has also operated a
handful of chartered flights from Oman and Dubai, with more than 45,000 U.K.
citizens returning from the Gulf since the conflict began.
PSG is the defending European champion and hosts Chelsea at Parc des Princes in
the first leg of the round of 16 tie. The teams play again in London next week.
___
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
