Britain's first chartered repatriation flight from Oman has been rescheduled following a series of technical and operational issues, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday. The government had chartered a flight from Muscat to London which was due to leave on Wednesday evening.
Authorities said that the aircraft could not depart on time, but officials said it's expected to leave later in the day on Thursday for British nationals and their spouses or partners and children, with the most vulnerable people having priority.
Speaking to Sky News, Alex Norris, a minister in the interior ministry, said there were also delays in getting passengers on board as part of the operational challenges.
Earlier, Britain's Foreign Office said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper had spoken with the head of Emirates and was due to speak with British Airways later on Wednesday about flight plans out of Dubai, as Britain leans on commercial airlines to help bring its citizens home.
Oman has emerged as a primary extraction hub in the Middle East due to the widespread airspace closures and security threats which have severely disrupted major transit centres such as Dubai and Doha.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain stranded across the Gulf states after military strikes involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran which began at the weekend.
The British government estimates that approximately 300,000 of its citizens are currently in the region. This figure includes individuals who are permanently based in the Gulf, tourists on holiday, and passengers caught in transit during the sudden airspace closures.
Commercial airlines are also struggling to maintain schedules amid the regional security crisis. British Airways announced it is currently unable to operate flights from major airports, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Amman, and Tel Aviv. To assist with the departure of stranded citizens, the airline is running alternative flights out of Muscat on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, though these routes are already fully booked according to officials.
Some marooned tourists and expatriates have also tried to make their own way out.
"We're doing this cautiously," said French Finance Minister Roland Lescure. The French government said several repatriation flights were planned for Wednesday for its citizens, around 400,000 of whom are in the region.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had authorised the use of military aircraft to support the evacuation of Polish citizens from the Middle East.
Italy's foreign ministry said it had deployed additional staff to Oman and the United Arab Emirates to support the repatriation of Italian citizens.
The Czech Republic has organised three government evacuation flights from Oman, Jordan and Egypt, bringing home 175 people, with more operations planned. Airline Smartwings is also operating return flights from Oman and Dubai, according to the CTK news agency and a government official.
Slovakia said it had evacuated 127 people, mostly Slovak citizens, along with four Czechs and one Kazakh national, on two flights from Jordan that landed on Tuesday, and was preparing additional missions.
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Türkiye and Iran’s foreign ministers spoke by phone after reports that a ballistic missile entered Turkish airspace, with Tehran denying responsibility and insisting its recent strikes targeted only U.S. and Israeli facilities.
China has called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their growing border dispute through dialogue and diplomatic channels, as clashes between their security forces entered a seventh day and left more than 160 people dead or injured, according to the United Nations.
In an exclusive interview with AnewZ, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic is "not targeting neighbouring countries," amid reports of drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday (5 March).
Iran's intelligence ministry said on Thursday that it had targeted positions belonging to "separatist groups" attempting to enter the country through its western borders, adding that the militants sustained heavy losses during the security operations.
In an exclusive interview with AnewZ, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic is "not targeting neighbouring countries," amid reports of drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday (5 March).
Tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks in the Gulf region, with military operations and regional security developments continuing to unfold.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters as the Iranian conflcit entered its fifth day on Wednesday.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Ankara is ready to help reinforce the ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as clashes between the two neighbours continue for a sixth consecutive day.
Escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S. are raising economic concerns across Central Asia. Although the region lies far from the conflict, its economies remain closely tied to global energy markets and trade routes linked to the Persian Gulf.
Türkiye and Iran’s foreign ministers spoke by phone after reports that a ballistic missile entered Turkish airspace, with Tehran denying responsibility and insisting its recent strikes targeted only U.S. and Israeli facilities.
China has called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their growing border dispute through dialogue and diplomatic channels, as clashes between their security forces entered a seventh day and left more than 160 people dead or injured, according to the United Nations.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has emerged as the leading contender to become Iran's next supreme leader. A hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, his rise would signal continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
In an exclusive interview with AnewZ, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic is "not targeting neighbouring countries," amid reports of drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday (5 March).
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