The UK government will charter a flight from Oman in the coming days to evacuate British nationals stranded in the Gulf region, prioritising the most vulnerable, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced. The move comes as airspace closures and ongoing Iranian strikes, in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks, have left thousands of Britons unable to travel.
Cooper told the House of Commons that the situation was “fast-moving” and that the government was working with airlines to increase capacity out of Muscat. She added that 130,000 British nationals had registered their presence with the Foreign Office to receive updates. The Foreign Office has taken 2,700 calls from stranded citizens, half of whom are in the UAE.
British Airways will also operate a separate flight from Oman in the early hours of Thursday to bring home its own customers. The airline said it remains unable to operate flights from destinations including Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Amman and Tel Aviv, but is advising customers in Oman to call a dedicated phone line if they wish to join the London-bound flight.
Most scheduled services to and from the Gulf remain cancelled until Thursday, although Virgin Atlantic planned to operate its overnight Heathrow-Dubai service on Tuesday night after a partial reopening of UAE airspace. The UAE has opened its airspace for limited repatriation and cargo flights, including an Etihad Airways flight that carried stranded Britons back to Heathrow on Monday.
The Irish government is also chartering a flight from Oman to assist its citizens, focusing on vulnerable non-residents in the UAE. Downing Street said the UK government remains in touch with commercial airlines and is working on contingency plans as the situation evolves.
