This current conflict, what is it called? I asked ChatGPT and all she could suggest was ‘The 2026 Iran war’ ... so let’s call it that then.
It is now becoming a nuisance!
My wife and I were due to go to the UK about two weeks ago but when The 2026 Iran War started the airspace was closed and our flights cancelled. Now, we are not running away from trouble, this trip was planned a few weeks ago. In fact, this trip back to Scotland was planned on January 22 which was the day our second grandchild was born.
Yes, we are not refugees from war but new grandparents desperate to see our new granddaughter. So, for us, the consideration is not just getting there, but getting back as well so we can get back to work.
When we fly back to the UK we prefer to fly with British Airways. I am sure many of you out there will remember my wife Debbie’s long association with British Airways and their children’s charity Dreamflight. However, BA has now cancelled all flights in-and-out of Bahrain until the end of May and that is just too long to wait.
So, from here it seems that our easiest option is to fly in-and-out of Riyadh to Heathrow and Edinburgh. This will mean driving 480km from home to King Khalid International Airport and back but since this is something I did many times back in the day when I ran a software company then it is not something that daunts me. We also have some friends in Riyadh who we can leave our car with instead of airport parking.
The drive to Riyadh is pretty boring once you cross the causeway. There is 400km of a dead straight line. If I had a Tesla, I could stick it on autopilot and have a kip in the back but since I only have a Jaaagg I will have to switch on cruise control and listen to my audiobooks.
A couple of years ago I went though a lorry driving phase and used to pilot 44 tonne artics up and down the motorways, so long distance driving I quite like.
Unlike the UK’s M6, Highway 40 between Dammam and Riyadh does not have full radio station coverage so audiobooks were the thing back in the day, however, as it now has mobile Internet cover the whole way, I guess I can still listen to BBC Radio 2 all the way.
It is now near the end of March and usually, by now, we would have completed our second trip of the year and be planning our next one.
Apart from the granddaughter trip we are also in the middle of buying a house in Cyprus and really, really need to get over there to discuss and measure a few things, but no flights to Larnaca either. So, c’mon guys, can we get this over with so some of us can get back to leading a normal life?
It’s Eid, wonderful, and usually a time when we can turn two days leave into a nine-day trip ... but we are all stuck here ... so, if you see me out and about, Eid Mubarak.
Jackie@JBeedie.com
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