The UK government is chartering a flight from Oman in the coming days to evacuate British nationals stranded in the region, prioritising the most vulnerable, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced. The move comes as most scheduled flights to and from the Gulf remain cancelled until Thursday due to the threat of Iranian strikes, retaliating for US-Israeli attacks.
Cooper said the situation was “fast-moving” and that 130,000 British nationals had registered their presence with the Foreign Office. The government is working to increase capacity out of Muscat, with the charter flight departing in the coming days. Britons in Oman will be contacted by the Foreign Office.
British Airways will also operate a separate flight from Oman in the early hours of Thursday to bring home some of its own customers. The airline said it remains unable to operate flights from destinations including Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Amman and Tel Aviv.
The Irish government is also chartering a flight to assist its citizens leaving the Middle East via Oman airport, with the first flight prioritising vulnerable non-resident Irish citizens in the UAE.
Virgin Atlantic planned to operate its Heathrow to Dubai service on Tuesday night after a partial reopening of UAE airspace, and expects to start bringing customers back on Wednesday if the flight lands successfully.
