First evacuation flight due to take Brits home from war-torn Middle East fails to take off leaving families stranded
A Government minister told LBC the flight did not take off for "operational reasons" as passengers spoke of witnessing "panic attacks".
The first flight chartered by the UK Government to ferry British citizens home from the war-torn Middle East has failed to take off.
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The plane was due to leave Muscat in Oman at 11pm local time (7pm GMT on Wednesday) but was hit with delays and never left the runway.
It was due to be the first repatriation organised by the British Government since the Middle East war started on Saturday.
However, passengers scheduled to be on board described a "total shambles" following a string of delays and technical issues, which allegedly caused panic attacks among some.
The flight has now been pushed back until later on Thursday.
Read more: Starmer slammed by allies as Government admits Royal Navy warship will take weeks to reach Cyprus
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson told LBC: “The UK government charter flight was not able to depart from Oman yesterday as planned due to technical issues.
"The flight is now expected to depart later today."
British Airways is among the carriers to have been operating commercial flights back to the UK, including from Muscat.
One passenger told Sky News: "[The] check-in process took about four hours due to technical issues.
"We then got taken to the plane on a bus but had to stay on it for about one-and-a-half hours. No consular staff were present airside.
"They just left us. People started getting very agitated, banging windows, panic attacks."
They added: "There are dozens and dozens of vulnerable people, young children and families.
"We have been told the plane will take off later today once the pilot has rested. The stress this has caused these vulnerable people is incredibly serious."
Evacuees were eventually sent back to a hotel after they were told the pilot was unable to fly.
Muscat, which is some 300 miles by road from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has emerged as a key location for people to leave the Middle East as the vast majority of commercial flights from the UAE are cancelled due to airspace restrictions caused by the conflict.
The Foreign Office confirmed earlier this week that around 300,000 UK nationals are believed to be in the region, with 168,000 having already registered their presence with officials.
Airlines including Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad have since resumed limited services to the UK, while Qatar Airways is planning a small number of relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh to Europe.
Speaking to LBC on Thursday, Minister for State for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said the plane didn't take off for "operational reasons."
Mr Norris told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "Getting passengers on board wasn't able to happen in the time that it had to happen.
"So that's now going to go today instead. There are other flights going as well."
He added: "This was a, you know, a flight stood up in short order. Those people will go.
"We're supporting them on the ground in the meantime. I know it's stressful for them, but we will, we will be supporting them."
Thousands of cruise passengers are also said to be trapped in ports in the Gulf as the war in the Middle East causes travel chaos.
Passengers and crews have been left unable to leave their ships after escalating tension raised safety fears in the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most crucial shipping lanes between Iran and Oman.
At least six ships from big companies are said to be stationary, awaiting news of when they can depart. With no viable exit routes or "safe corridors" open at the moment, the ships remain trapped.
It comes as Britain's response to the Iran war was slammed as "weak" by allies across the Middle East, as nations criticise Sir Keir Starmer for failing to do enough to protect the region from Iranian missiles.
On Wednesday, the Government admitted it would be weeks before the HMS Dragon warship would be able to reach missile-hit Cyprus.
Britain maintains sovereignty over two bases - Akrotiri and Dhekelia - as part of the 1960 treaty which established Cypriot independence from the UK. The bases cover “roughly three per cent of the island” and are among the 14 surviving British Overseas Territories, such as Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.
British F-35s and Typhoon aircraft are conducting defensive missions in Cyprus, but HMS Dragon will not set sail for Cyprus until next week after being hurried out of maintenance and fitted with the correct weapons in Portsmouth.
In response, the island's High Commissioner said that his nation expects the UK to provide defence for the nation, which is home to two crucial RAF bases.
Dr Kyriacos P. Kouros, the Cypriot High Commissioner to the UK told LBC that the British Government had a duty to "safeguard" British nationals on the island.
He previously told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "About five per cent of the population of Cyprus are British expats who are living scattered all around the island.
"So when we talk about engagement with the British government, we mean that they have to help us safeguard the lives of everybody on the island."