Passengers describe ‘surreal’ scramble to reach first government flight out of Middle East
Passengers describe ‘surreal’ scramble to reach first government flight out of Middle East
British citizens who arrived in the UK via the inaugural government-chartered flight out of the Middle East since the conflict began six days ago shared accounts of their frantic journey to secure a spot on the plane. The flight, initially set to depart Muscat, Oman, on Wednesday night, faced a nearly 24-hour delay due to technical problems. It eventually took off at 23:53 local time on Thursday, landing at London’s Stansted Airport on Friday.
Over 140,000 British nationals in the region have registered with the UK’s foreign office following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which triggered retaliatory attacks. Fazal Chowdhury, a Dubai resident, called the experience “a little bit surreal to be honest,” explaining that he and his wife left immediately upon hearing reports of Iranian strikes on Muscat. They drove to the Omani capital, where they spent time in a hotel before waiting for the flight.
“We just made a run for it straight away, checked into a hotel in Muscat, and there we were just waiting,” Chowdhury told the BBC after landing in Stansted on Friday.
Dubai has been hit by several Iranian strikes since Saturday, with damage reported at the airport and luxury hotels. Oman, located across the Gulf of Oman from southern Iran, is farther from Tehran than most Middle Eastern nations. However, its capital, Muscat, is a 280-mile drive from Dubai, where many British tourists and expats are based.
Amelia Reid and Samuel Sharp, who had arrived in Dubai last Friday for a long weekend, were forced to take shelter in their hotel’s car park by Saturday evening. “We ended up sleeping in a car park in the basement of the hotel with about 100 other people, after the alarms went off on our phones,” said Sharp. He described the four days of uncertainty as “on edge,” following a “massive bang” they heard during breakfast on Sunday.
Reid, who used a wheelchair, noted that the couple departed Dubai around midday on Thursday, traveling via coach to Muscat in hopes of boarding the government plane. The Foreign Office advised people to wait for contact rather than rushing to Muscat International Airport. Nonetheless, registration was possible once individuals were in Oman.
A unnamed traveler recounted his escape with his young family over the weekend, driving to Oman as strikes intensified. He spent 36 hours in Muscat International Airport, waiting for the chartered plane to depart. Airspace restrictions remain severe across the region, with flights grounded or limited in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE, and Israel.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced additional flights from Oman, with British Airways operating daily services. He emphasized efforts to boost the airlift’s speed and capacity, promising more charter flights in the coming days. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer described the crisis as “a consular challenge on a scale not seen since Covid,” adding that “no instant solutions” exist. Britons in Oman will be notified as extra government flights become available, he said.
