British passengers on the first government-chartered evacuation flight from Oman experienced panic attacks after the aircraft failed to take off due to technical issues, the Foreign Office has confirmed. The flight, scheduled to depart from Muscat at around 11pm on Wednesday, remained grounded overnight, leaving 180 stranded citizens frustrated and distressed.
One unnamed passenger told Sky News that the check-in process took four hours, and after boarding a bus to the plane, they were kept waiting for another 90 minutes. “No consular staff were present airside. They just left us. People started getting very agitated, banging windows, panic attacks,” the passenger said. The flight has been rescheduled for Thursday after the pilot rested, according to the passenger.
The Foreign Office said it was working to resolve the situation, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer promising two more chartered flights “in the coming days”. The crisis has seen around 138,000 British nationals register their presence in the Middle East, with the majority in the United Arab Emirates. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has met with airline executives to increase commercial flight availability.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer summoned the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday to condemn Iran’s role in the regional conflict. He said officials were working “around the clock” to ensure safe routes home, noting that airspace closures were making travel extremely difficult. “Due to the volatility of the situation, circumstances on the ground may remain challenging for some time,” he added.
