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The UK government has chartered a repatriation flight out of Oman to help British nationals who want to leave the Middle East, as attacks continue to take place across the region.
The flight, the first specifically arranged by the UK government, is currently scheduled to leave Muscat International Airport on Wednesday night at 23:00 local time (19:00 GMT) – and will prioritise the most vulnerable people first.
British nationals and their spouse or partner, and their children under the age of 18, will all be eligible.
The Foreign Office said that it would contact British nationals to secure them a seat on the flight, and urged people not to make their way to the airport unless they have been officially called.
It said it would “continue to work with airlines to find more routes for people to return home”.
Air travel in the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled, and many British citizens who would like to leave remain stuck in the region.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs on Tuesday that the “safety and security” of British nationals was a “top priority”.
She confirmed that approximately 130,000 British nationals have signed up for the Register Your Presence programme which is available in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The Foreign Office is currently advising against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.
