PSG president Al-Khelaifi left stranded in Qatar

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 of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

Flights in and out of the Middle East have been impacted by the Iran war, which began the US and Israeli strikes on February 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, US 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 UK was returning to normal levels. The Foreign Office said 32 flights operated from Dubai to Britain on Monday and another 36 were scheduled on Tuesday. The British government has also operated a handful of chartered flights from Oman and Dubai, with more than 45,000 UK 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.