For many Filipino families, graduation season is among the most awaited moments of the year — a milestone that parents in the Gulf work thousands of miles away to make possible. This March, for a number of overseas Filipino workers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, that milestone will pass without them in the audience.
With public school graduation rites set for March 30 to 31 — and many university ceremonies falling between April and June — several OFW parents have put their long-planned vacations on hold. The reason is the ongoing war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week since US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28. The conflict has thrown Gulf airspace into prolonged disruption, cancelling more than 52,000 flights across the region and grounding over half of all planned Gulf departures since the fighting began.
Emirates has been operating at around 60% of its pre-war flight capacity, while Etihad has taken a more cautious approach, hovering at roughly 15% of normal operations. For OFWs hoping to book a seat home, options are thin. Emirates is currently operating to over 110 destinations from Dubai, while Al Maktoum Airport has been serving as the primary Dubai hub alongside Dubai International Airport, which has resumed limited operations. In Abu Dhabi, Etihad remains the main carrier — though its significantly reduced schedule has made seat availability a persistent problem.
In the comments section of The Global Filipino Magazine, several OFW parents shared how they broke the news to their children. Many said their kids took it in stride, understanding that the situation was beyond their parents’ control. A number of parents, however, are not giving up just yet — some have asked their employers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to help book seats through Emirates and Etihad, which remain the primary carriers still operating commercial flights out of their respective home airports.
The desire to come home is strong, but so are the obstacles. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has acknowledged that airspace closures and limitations remain a significant challenge for the government, noting that most airspace and airports in the affected countries are either closed or restricted. With some 2.4 million Filipinos living and working across the Middle East, the human and logistical toll of the conflict is already being felt across households in the Philippines.
The Philippine government has been prioritizing the return of OFWs in high-risk areas, those with medical conditions, and those facing urgent humanitarian concerns under its Bagong Pilipinas Repatriation Program. For OFWs who are otherwise safe and employed — and simply want to fly home for a family event — their turn in the queue remains uncertain.
