UK Working With Airlines to Boost Oman Evacuations

First UK repatriation flight to leave Oman on Wednesday

British Government Response to Middle East Conflict

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - A British chartered flight will leave Oman on Wednesday evening, prioritising vulnerable UK nationals who want to leave the region after the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, the British Foreign Office said.

Flight Operations and Airline Involvement

British Airways, which is currently unable to fly from Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Amman and Tel Aviv, said it would also operate a flight from Oman in the early hours of Thursday local time.

Impact on European Nationals

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans have been stranded in the Gulf states since Iran responded to U.S. and Israeli strikes by attacking its neighbours. Those stuck in the region are on holiday, in transit or permanently based there.

Government Coordination and Capacity Efforts

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament on Tuesday she was in close contact with her counterparts in the Gulf and said Britain was working with airlines on increasing capacity out of Muscat, Oman.

Registered British Citizens in the Region

The government said some 130,000 British citizens have registered their presence in the region.

Flight Details and Eligibility

The Foreign Office said the chartered flight would depart from Muscat at 1900 GMT on Wednesday. It said it would be open to British nationals and their spouses or partners and children, but would prioritise the most vulnerable first.

Instructions for British Nationals

"British nationals should not make their way to the Muscat International Airport unless they are called," it said.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Sarah Young and Sam Tabahriti in London and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by William James and Jamie Freed)