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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Shaheena Uddin

Starmer announces more Middle East evacuation flights as Britons scramble for places to get home

Additional flights to rescue British nationals stranded in the Middle East have been announced.

The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer said two further government-chartered flights will take off from Oman “in the coming days”.

British Airways announced two more flights will operate between the capital Muscat and London Heathrow, on Friday and Saturday.

The first government rescue flight and a British Airways commercial flight from Muscat are set to depart on Wednesday evening.

Sir Keir told MPs that more than 1,000 British nationals landed back in the UK on commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday.

British Airways is to operate two more rescue flights from the Middle East (PA)

Eight more UK flights are scheduled to depart the UAE on Wednesday, he confirmed.

However, there is not expected to be a widespread evacuation of the 138,000 British nationals who have registered their presence in the Middle East.

Some commercial flights are operating from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE but the vast majority are cancelled due to airspace restrictions caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran.

British Airways, which does not usually serve Muscat, said it remains unable to operate its scheduled flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv.

Muscat has become as a key location for people to escape the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi commercial flights remain partly operational but the vast majority are cancelled due to airspace restrictions (AP)

The Foreign Office has not advised against travel to Muscat’s airport, unlike the current advice in place for airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Muscat can be accessed by road from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi with journeys of about 300 miles (around 480km).

The UK’s Foreign Office said: “There are a limited number of commercial options available, including by air from UAE and from Oman.

“If your presence in UAE is not essential, you may wish to consider departing – if you judge you can access these options safely.”

Oman Air has continued to operate its two daily return flights between Muscat and Heathrow despite the war.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said Muscat has “become a popular alternative for flying out of the region” but warned that “almost all scheduled flights from Muscat are fully booked”.

Private jets are being chartered “to evacuate those who can afford it”, it added.

Around half a million passengers per day usually frequent airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are crucial hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.

Experts believe it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers as the war unfolds.

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