What was expected to be a smooth return trip from a vacation in the United States turned into a tense ordeal for a Mumbai family caught in the airspace disruption triggered by the ongoing West Asian conflict.

Siddartha Mukerjee, his wife Aysha, and daughter Anika had left India for the US on February 14 and were to depart from there on February 27. Their return itinerary included a journey from Hawaii to Seattle, Washington, followed by a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, from where they were to fly to Mumbai.