Britain Charters Plane to Evacuate its Citizens from Oman

By: BBC

Reports we received a short time ago indicate that the British government has chartered a commercial plane from Oman to assist British citizens wishing to leave the Middle East.

The flight is expected to depart Muscat on March 4 at 11:00 PM local time (19:00 GMT), and will prioritize the most vulnerable people.

British citizens, their spouses and children under the age of 18, will be allowed to use the flight.

The Foreign Office says British citizens who are registered in the UAE and are currently in Oman should fill out a special form as soon as possible, if they wish to board the flight.

The office has also asked people not to arrive at the airport until they are informed by the Foreign Office.

It adds that it will continue to work with airlines to find more ways to get people home to the UK.

Air travel in the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has since retaliated by carrying out attacks across the region, targeting US military bases in Arab countries, but also civilian and energy infrastructure.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled, many British citizens who would like to leave are stranded in the area.