The first charter flight carrying British nationals from the Middle East has departed from Oman, Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Thursday. The plane, originally scheduled to leave at 7pm on Wednesday, was delayed due to issues with boarding passengers, according to Home Office minister Alex Norris.
Starmer described the evacuation as “one of the biggest operations of its kind, many times bigger than the evacuation from Afghanistan.” He stressed the government would not stop until all British nationals were safe, but acknowledged it would not happen overnight.
More than 2,000 people arrived in the UK on Wednesday via eight flights from the United Arab Emirates, with a further ten flights expected on Thursday. British Airways announced it would run a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Saturday, a route it does not usually serve.
However, the government faced criticism from MPs and British nationals over the pace and scale of the effort. A passenger on the Oman flight, named Mark, described the situation as a “complete shambles” with “no communication from the craft or the crew.” Labour MP Emily Thornberry relayed concerns from constituents at Muscat airport who struggled to identify British consular staff.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer, a former diplomat, called the operation “a consular challenge on a scale not seen since Covid.” Over 140,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East, with more than 100,000 in the UAE alone. Those eligible for government flights are asked to pay for seats, with the most vulnerable prioritised.
