Ellie was in tears when her husband Richard Mansell finally won on the European Tour in 2025 after 104 attempts. Now, with her being 35 weeks pregnant and commercial flights out of the UAE restricted, Mansell is the one who is emotional and is desperately searching for a lifeline before time runs out.

“Not a sob story! I’ve been trying to get back to the UK for a few days now, as Ellie is heavily pregnant. Tried just about everything. We had a private jet booked for this coming Monday that has now been cancelled, as we can’t get the permit for that day, and other passengers dropped out. Ellie is 35 weeks pregnant and having a baby at home, and getting close to where she can’t fly,” he wrote on his Instagram.

The plea lands against a genuinely severe backdrop. Over 23,000 flights have been canceled since February 28, 2026, as the Middle East crisis caused flight movements per hour to drop from the usual 90-110 down to just 48.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advised against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates. The government is drafting contingency plans to evacuate as many as 50,000 British people currently in the UAE. But Mansell needs to get out of there soon, which is why he made a public plea to his followers.

“Multiple flights are cancelled. Arnie (our dog) has documents to fly only until Monday; then we need to reapply for him, and that takes days. Hate to do this, but my last hope is that one of my followers is or knows someone who is flying private and has room for two passengers and a dog back to the UK from the UAE tomorrow, Sunday, or Monday. Thank you.”

On March 6, the UK successfully operated its first government-chartered evacuation flight from Oman, and further arrangements are underway. But the FCDO has advised Britons still in the UAE that departure remains at their own risk. Private airlines offer no hope either.

Airlines, including Etihad, only resumed limited commercial services from March 6, prioritizing passengers with existing bookings. Aircraft are also being forced onto longer detours, requiring special permits that are proving difficult to secure at short notice, which is exactly why the Monday private jet fell through.

For someone in Richard Mansell’s position, with a wife nearing the medical cutoff for air travel and a dog whose documentation expires Monday, every hour counts. The situation is dire, as another stranded golfer, Caleb Surratt, revealed a few days back.

“And then world just came undone on Saturday. It was terrifying. But since then, it’s been OK,” said the LIV Golf pro a few days back.

It only goes on to show the anxiety Mansell is facing. The couple married in August 2023 and have followed the DP World Tour schedule together ever since. Quite naturally, Ellie broke down in tears seeing her husband win for the first time at the 2025 Singapore Classic.

“It’s amazing. I’ve just been on the phone to my mum and dad and Ellie’s parents. So many people have supported me and believed in me when I stopped doing it myself,” said the DP World Tour pro at that time.

Richard Mansell isn’t the only golfer stuck in this situation. As per reports, many LIV golfers were stuck, but they were pulled out with the assistance of Jon Rahm.

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Jon Rahm organized a private jet to escape the Middle East for stranded LIV Golf pros

On February 28, 2026, a joint US-Israel strike on Iran triggered immediate aviation shutdowns across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, leaving several LIV Golf players who had been practicing in Dubai suddenly stranded with no clear way out.

According to Golf.com Executive Editor Alan Bastable, Jon Rahm stepped in to organize a private jet out of neighboring Oman for seven stranded players: Thomas Detry, Adrian Meronk, Anirban Lahiri, Tom McKibbin, Caleb Surratt, Sam Horsfield, and Lee Westwood, along with one caddie.

Getting to that flight was no straightforward task. The group first took ground transport from Dubai to the Oman border, then covered roughly a mile by bus to reach the airstrip. From there, Rahm’s private jet flew them to Hong Kong, where they connected onward to LIV’s third event of the season.

“I mean, two days ago I was at the border in the UAE, and I was like, there’s absolutely no chance of teeing it up out here in Hong Kong, and here I am jumping on a plane, which was unbelievable… That was incredible of Jon to put on that plane,” Detry said from Hong Kong later. 

LIV had a contingency plan ready, with a flight to London on standby, in case Rahm’s arrangement fell through. The private jet route proved the simpler and faster option, but the episode underscored just how difficult it had become to exit the region for anyone without substantial resources.