KRQE: Stranded Abroad: Albuquerque couple’s flight back home diverted amid war in Iran

Its now been five days since Michael and Aditi’s flights were diverted as their plane was airborne from Qatar to Dallas. Despite uncertainty, the husband and wife are optimistic. Michael Gardner and his wife, Aditi Mittal, were vacationing in India, visiting family for a wedding. But three hours after their flight home took off, an announcement came through the intercom.
“The captain came on over the overhead and said, we’re returning to Doha, we’ll land in 30 minutes,” Gardner recalled. “We were kind of shocked because we’d already been in the air so long, so we pulled up the flight map and noticed we’d been circling around, and the next thing we knew, we were back in the airport trying to figure out what was going on.”
After landing, they quickly tried to figure out what was going on. “Every phone that got switched on began alarming with this alert that we found out was a missile alert saying to take cover, seek shelter,” he continued.
Crowds flocked to ticket counters searching for answers. “The guy immediately told us, I have no information for you. Please find somewhere to relax,” said Gardner.
After spending the rest of the day in the airport, they eventually moved into a hotel where they’ve been ever since, hoping to hear word about a flight back home.
Gardner and his wife say they often alternate between being tense and calm, saying the emotions come in waves.
Despite embassy warnings telling them to leave Qatar, flights remain grounded. On Wednesday, the couple says they got a reassuring call from New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich. “He has expressed an intent to help us stay in touch, has given us contact details, and also shared the information of all the reliable sources,” explained Mittal.
Despite the uncertainty, Mittal said that they are thankful they have each other. “We sometimes hear explosions of missile interceptions, which is scary from a hotel. So definitely grateful for company and to be able to exchange thoughts, ideas, and share emotions.”
Both Aditi and Michael are doctors at Presbyterian in Albuquerque and said they’re eager to come back to their family, friends, and patients.
The couple is just one of at least two known couples from Albuquerque stuck in the Middle East.