The first government-chartered flight evacuating British nationals from the Middle East has taken off from Oman, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Thursday. The plane, originally scheduled to depart at 7pm on Wednesday, was delayed due to check-in issues, which a passenger described as a 'complete shambles'.
Starmer called the evacuation effort 'one of the biggest operations of its kind, many times bigger than the evacuation from Afghanistan'. He stressed that it would not happen overnight but that the government would not stop until all British nationals were safe.
More than 2,000 people arrived in the UK on Wednesday on eight flights from the United Arab Emirates, with a further ten flights expected on Thursday. British Airways will also operate an extra daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Saturday.
However, the government has faced criticism from MPs and British nationals in the region over the pace of the evacuation. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel urged ministers to be honest about the scale of the challenge, while Labour MP Emily Thornberry relayed concerns from constituents who struggled to identify consular staff at Muscat airport.
Minister Hamish Falconer, a former diplomat, described the situation as a 'consular challenge on a scale not seen since Covid', adding that there were 'no instant solutions'. He said additional government-organised flights from Oman would be announced soon, but advised that commercial flights remained the fastest option.
Over 140,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East with the Foreign Office, including 138,000 in the Gulf region. Those eligible for government flights are required to pay for seats, with the most vulnerable prioritised.
