NBC6 executive producer caught in escalating conflict during layover in Dubai

What began as a bucket-list vacation filled with turquoise waters and historic landmarks turned into a tense waiting game for NBC6 executive producer Lianna Saldana and her husband.

The couple had been enjoying sun-soaked days in the Maldives and visiting the Taj Mahal in India. Dubai was supposed to be a brief layover before their return home to Miami.

Instead, it became an unexpected stop in the middle of escalating regional conflict.

About an hour into their flight to Dubai, Saldana received a notification that airstrikes had begun in Iran.

“I just remember looking at my husband and saying, ‘Wow… we’re in trouble,’” she said.

As their plane approached Dubai, the situation worsened.

Airspace in the region began closing due to the escalating conflict.

What was meant to be a 12-hour layover quickly turned into an extended and uncertain stay.

Saldana said she never expected Dubai itself to be directly affected.

“I wasn’t expecting Dubai to be impacted because technically there are no military bases here,” she explained. “But we’ve heard the missiles being intercepted. It’s a loud bang. You hear it in the distance. I’ve seen the smoke — a small cloud in the sky.”

Later that night, an emergency alert flashed across their phones, warning residents to take shelter immediately.

“It was really scary,” Saldana said. “The alert said there was a possibility of a missile. We hid in the bathroom and kept checking our phones constantly.”

For Saldana, who works in television news and regularly helps produce breaking stories, experiencing a developing international conflict firsthand was unsettling.

“I do feel safe here in Dubai,” she said. “They’ve done a great job intercepting missiles. But knowing that this is escalating worries me because we could get stuck here.”

With their luggage already sent ahead to Miami and flights canceled, the couple has been getting by with only the clothes they were wearing when they landed. They have purchased a few essentials while staying close to their hotel and monitoring updates from airlines and local authorities.

They are currently rebooked on a flight home scheduled for March 4, though uncertainty remains as airlines continue to assess the situation.

“We’re just taking it day by day,” Saldana said.

For now, the couple waits — thousands of miles from home — hoping their dream vacation will soon give way to a safe return to Miami.