The UK government will charter a flight from Oman in the coming days to evacuate British nationals stranded in the region, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced. The move comes as Iran continues retaliatory strikes following US-Israeli attacks, leading to widespread airspace closures.
Cooper stated that the situation is fast-moving, with most scheduled flights to and from the Gulf cancelled until Thursday. However, Virgin Atlantic plans to operate its overnight Heathrow-Dubai service after a partial reopening of UAE airspace. British Airways will also run a separate flight from Oman early Thursday to bring home its customers.
The government charter flight from Muscat will prioritise vulnerable British nationals. Cooper noted that 130,000 Britons have registered with the Foreign Office for updates. She praised UAE support and confirmed ongoing talks with regional counterparts to increase flight capacity out of Oman.
Downing Street reported 2,700 calls from British nationals, half from the UAE. BA said it remains unable to operate from Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Amman and Tel Aviv, but is supporting affected customers. The airline will operate a flight from Muscat to London at 2:30am local time on 5 March, with additional flights on 6 and 7 March.
The Irish government is also chartering a flight from Oman to assist its citizens, focusing on vulnerable non-residents in the UAE. Large areas of airspace remain closed, but limited repatriation flights have resumed, including an Etihad Airways flight carrying stranded Britons to Heathrow on Monday.
