UK charter evacuation flight for Britons failed to depart Muscat Wednesday night, rescheduled for Thursday amid Iran conflict/Representative Image
A charter flight arranged by the UK government to evacuate British nationals from the Middle East failed to depart as scheduled from Oman late on Wednesday, leaving passengers stranded despite hours of waiting at the airport.
The development was reported by Sky News.The aircraft had been scheduled to leave the Omani capital, Muscat, at 11pm local time on Wednesday, which corresponds to 7pm in the UK. The flight was intended to carry Britons seeking to leave the region as tensions escalate following the recent US and Israeli action against Iran and Tehran’s response, which has widened instability across parts of the Middle East.The evacuation effort also comes as Britain faces criticism from some allies in the Gulf over its response to the escalating conflict with Iran.
According to a report by The Times (UK), countries including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have expressed concerns about what they view as a slow UK response to Iranian missile attacks and delays in granting the United States permission to use joint bases in the region for defensive strikes against Iranian missile sites.Since the conflict intensified at the weekend, some air travel has resumed as foreign nationals attempt to return home.
Commercial flights have been operating alongside chartered aircraft organised by governments to assist their citizens. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that more than 1,000 British nationals have already managed to return to the UK on commercial services.According to Sky News, the reason the charter flight did not take off has not been officially confirmed. The outlet reported that the flight has been rescheduled and is now expected to depart later on Thursday.
Sky News said it had contacted the UK Foreign Office for comment on the disruption.One passenger who had been due to board the flight described the situation to Sky News as a “total shambles”. The individual, who asked to remain anonymous, said the airport check-in process lasted around four hours because of technical issues.The passenger said travellers were eventually transported to the aircraft by bus but were forced to remain inside the vehicle for roughly one and a half hours without boarding.
They also claimed that no consular staff were present airside during the delay.According to the account given to Sky News, tensions rose among passengers waiting to depart. The traveller said some people became increasingly distressed, with several banging on bus windows and others experiencing panic attacks. They said dozens of vulnerable passengers were present, including young children and families.Muscat has become an important transit point for people attempting to leave the region.
The Omani capital can be reached by road from the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with journeys of roughly 300 miles.Airlines such as British Airways have continued operating commercial services to the UK from Muscat. One such flight departed on Wednesday night and was expected to land at Heathrow Airport shortly after 8am on Thursday.Passengers who had been scheduled to travel on the cancelled charter flight were later taken back to a hotel.
The traveller who spoke to Sky News said they had been informed that the delay occurred because the pilot had reached the limit of permitted working hours.According to the passenger, travellers were told the aircraft would depart later on Thursday once the pilot had completed the required rest period. They added that the disruption had caused significant stress for many people waiting to leave the region.
