The repatriation effort comes as thousands of Britons remain stranded across the Middle East following escalating regional tensions….reports Asian Lite News
A flight chartered by the UK government to repatriate some British nationals stranded in the Middle East has landed in the United Kingdom.
The aircraft arrived at London Stansted Airport at 00:53 GMT on Friday after departing nearly 24 hours later than scheduled due to technical issues. According to the BBC, the flight had originally been expected to leave Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Wednesday but was delayed before eventually taking off late on Thursday night local time.
The repatriation effort comes as thousands of Britons remain stranded across the Middle East following escalating regional tensions. US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory Iranian attacks across the region, disrupting travel and leaving many foreign nationals seeking a way home.
More than 140,000 British nationals in the region have registered with the UK government for updates and assistance, the BBC reported.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that more than 4,000 people had already returned to the UK on commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates, including what he described as “vulnerable Brits”. He added that seven additional flights were scheduled to depart the UAE for the UK on Thursday, and the government plans to organise further charter services in the coming days.
Starmer also said British Airways would operate daily flights from Oman, with the government working with partners to increase the speed and capacity of the ongoing airlift.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer described the situation as “a consular challenge on a scale not seen since Covid”, noting that there were “no instant solutions”, the BBC reported.
Falconer said British nationals in Oman would be contacted once additional government-arranged flights from Muscat become available, though he emphasised that commercial flights remain the quickest route back to the UK.
However, some stranded travellers have described confusion and frustration over eligibility. Poppy Cleary, 27, was diverted to Muscat after her Singapore flight was rerouted. She said she registered and paid £350 but was later told the first evacuation flight prioritised those arriving from countries deemed less safe, including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. She said she received no confirmation that she had not secured a seat.
Commercial airlines are also attempting limited operations. British Airways announced it would run two flights from Muscat to London Heathrow on Friday and Saturday for customers already booked to travel, though both services are now full. The airline said it remains unable to operate flights from several regional hubs, including Dubai and Tel Aviv.
Emotional scenes unfolded at Edinburgh Airport as passengers arrived on a flight operated by Emirates from Dubai. Some travellers described fleeing hotels and airports amid emergency alerts and sudden closures of airspace.
Airspace across much of the Middle East remains severely restricted, affecting Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel. Qatar Airways has suspended flights until further notice, while Etihad Airways has halted services to and from Abu Dhabi.
The government has described the operation as its largest consular challenge since the Covid-19 pandemic, with officials continuing to work alongside airlines to secure additional routes home.
