Government Charter Flight Brings Stranded Britons Back to the UK
A government-paid flight carrying stranded British people from the Middle East has successfully touched down in Britain. The flight landed on Sunday morning. The aircraft arrived at London Stansted Airport at GMT 00:53 Friday 9 December 2022, a day late.
The flight was supposed to leave from Muscat which is the capital of Oman on Wednesday. But the plane had some problems so it did not leave until Thursday night which was almost 24 hours later.
Many British people are stuck in the Middle East. Recently the United States and Israel bombed Iran and Iran bombed back which caused a lot of problems including not being able to fly in some areas.
The government of the United Kingdom says that more than 140000 British people who are currently in the Middle East have signed up to get updates on travel. The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that more than 4000 British people have already been able to fly back to the United Kingdom on regular flights from the United Arab Emirates including some people who needed extra help.
He also said that seven flights will depart from the United Arab Emirates to the United Kingdom on Thursday, and the government plans to arrange more special flights in the coming days. British Airways has also started flying every day from Oman to help get people out and make the process faster.
Flight Delay in Muscat Causes Frustration Among Passengers
Passengers on the delayed flight said the situation was very chaotic before departure. One traveler, Mark, who was traveling with his family, said that the situation at Muscat Airport on Wednesday was “a mess.”
He said that it took two hours to check in. And they had to wait on a bus for another hour with little information from the crew. At one point someone had a panic attack while waiting.
Mark said that they were eventually told that the flight could not leave. Because the crew would be working too long if they flew all the way to Cairo.
Thousands of British Nationals Still Stuck in the Middle East
Many British people who could not get on the flights are trying to find other ways to get home. Sam Sahabandu, 47, from Northamptonshire got stuck in Muscat after his flight from Sri Lanka to London was diverted.
He later got a seat on a Qatar Airways flight to Heathrow and said that Muscat Airport seemed calm despite the travel problems.
Other people had problems. Poppy Cleary, 27, had been diverted to Muscat from Singapore. She initially hoped to return on a government flight. However she was told that the first special flight was for people coming from higher-risk countries like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
She eventually found a seat on a flight to the United Kingdom.
Another traveler, Dr. Erasha Amarasinghe from Northampton, said she had to turn down a seat on the flight because officials did not allow her parents to travel. Although they live in the United Kingdom with permission to stay they have Sri Lankan passports. Amarasinghe said that she could not leave them behind especially since her mother is disabled and her father has health problems. Read More
Political Criticism and International Tensions Continue
The minister in charge of the Foreign Office Hamish Falconer said that this is one of the biggest challenges the United Kingdom has faced since the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that the situation is still very complicated and that there are no instant solutions.
Falconer told stranded Britons that the fastest way to get home is still on regular flights, but the government will contact them when it arranges more special flights.
Some people are criticizing the government for not doing enough. The Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said that the government is not showing leadership in response to the conflict.
She said that some important allies of the United Kingdom, including the United States, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, feel disappointed with the UK’s involvement.
Travel Disruptions and Personal Stories from Stranded Passengers
It is still very hard to travel in the Middle East. On Thursday evening, France sent a plane to Dubai to bring back its citizens, but it had to turn back because of missile activity. The French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said that this shows how unstable and complicated it is to get people out.
British people who want to fly on the government’s flights have to pay for their seats. The Foreign Office said that they will give priority to people who need help and only British citizens their spouses partners and children under 18 can fly.
Officials said that around 141000 British people in the Gulf region have told the government that they are there including around 112000 in the United Arab Emirates.
After the missile strikes it is still very hard to fly in much of the Middle East. Many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, have limited flights.
Meanwhile some British travellers have already made it home. There were emotional scenes at Edinburgh Airport when around 300 passengers arrived on an Emirates flight from Dubai.
Among them were Andrew Crow and Jean Weir from Glasgow. Who had checked out of the Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai hours before a big explosion nearby on Saturday. Crow said the journey back was long and stressful, but they felt relieved to arrive home safely.
Victoria Cameron from Larkhall described the moment when airport staff told passengers to leave their luggage and evacuate quickly.
“Our phones were going off with emergency alerts” she said. “People were crying and shaking.”
While the crisis is continuing, the UK government is also increasing its presence in the region. The British military base at Akrotiri in Cyprus faced threat to its safety from an Iranian drone. In response to this threat, likely by the Iranian military. The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon is being sent to the Mediterranean.
Officials say that they will keep trying to get people out as the situation in the Middle East develops.
