Thousands more Britons stranded in the Middle East are returning home on Wednesday as airlines increase flights from the region. Emirates is operating seven flights from Dubai to the UK, while Etihad has two departures from Abu Dhabi. Virgin Atlantic will run a flight from Dubai to London Heathrow.
British Airways has not resumed its usual flying programme from the region but will operate an evacuation flight to Heathrow from Muscat, the capital of Oman, which it does not normally serve. A UK Government charter flight will repatriate Britons from Muscat at 7pm GMT, though reports indicate there will be no major evacuation of the 130,000 British nationals registered in the Middle East.
Most stranded people are reliant on commercial flights. The conflict between Iran and the US and its allies has caused widespread airspace closures in the Middle East, disrupting flights. About half a million passengers per day use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, vital hubs for travel between Europe, Asia and Australia. Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the passenger backlog.
Figures from aviation analytics company Cirium show 603 out of 1,040 flights to Dubai were cancelled on Wednesday, with a similar number of outbound flights also axed. The Foreign Office does not advise against travel to the area around Muscat airport, unlike current advice for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. Oman's capital can be reached by road from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a journey of about 300 miles.
Flight tracking service Flightradar24 said Muscat has become a popular alternative for flying out of the region but warned that almost all scheduled flights from Muscat are fully booked. It added that private jets are being chartered to evacuate those who can afford it.
