UK announces first Middle East repatriation flight to bring stranded Brits home
A commercial flight chartered by the UK Government will leave Muscat at 7pm on Wednesday for British nationals wanting to leave Oman following attacks in the region, the Foreign Office said.
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British nationals, their partners and children under 18 are eligible for the flight, as long as they have a valid travel document.
The Foreign Office said priority will be given to the most vulnerable and they will contact British nationals in Oman. Anyone who registered their presence in the United Arab Emirates and are now in Oman is asked to register for a place on a flight.
They asked people not to travel to Muscat International Airport in Oman unless they are contacted by officials.
Dependents who are not British nationals will require a valid visa or permission to enter or remain granted for more than three months.
The Foreign Office said it was working with airlines on more routes.
Yvette Cooper told MPs on Tuesday that the "safety and security" of British nationals was a "top priority".
The Foreign Secretary suggested Oman was likely to be the first place from which a government-arranged repatriation flight would take off from.
Approximately 130,000 British nationals have signed up for the Register Your Presence programme, according to the Cooper, which is available in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Read more: Moment RAF jets shoot down Iranian drone over Jordan
Larges areas of airspace remained closed across the Middle East amid the intensifying conflict between Iran and US-Israeli forces.
Previously, the Prime Minister said the situation on the ground “may remain challenging for some time” but that the Government was “looking at all options to support our people”.
In a post on X, the Government of Dubai Media Office said on Monday afternoon that airlines Emirates and Flydubai would begin operating a limited number of flights, with priority being given to customers with earlier bookings.
Some 15 Etihad Airways flights departed from Abu Dhabi in a three-hour window on Monday, which Flightradar24 said were “likely helping to clear transit passengers who have been stuck there since the start of the conflict”.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline continued to tell passengers not to travel to the airport unless they had been contacted directly and advised to do so.
We have updated travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt.
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) March 3, 2026
We encourage you to read the travel advice for the countries you are in: https://t.co/BrRWjI2A5n pic.twitter.com/hyTCRCBvap
The US president on Tuesday said Sir Keir was "not Winston Churchill" in his latest rebuke of the Prime Minister, who did not allow American planes to launch their initial strikes against Tehran from British bases.
The Prime Minister meanwhile announced Britain would send HMS Dragon, one of the Royal Navy's six Type 45 air defence destroyers, to defend Cyprus after RAF Akrotiri was hit by a drone.
The war between Iran and the USA, now in its fifth day, will likely dominate the agenda when Sir Keir enters the Commons at noon on Wednesday for Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Trump has said he is "not happy" with the UK after it did not initially allow the US to use its bases for strikes on Iran, later adding in the Oval Office: "This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with."
Downing Street has insisted the US remains a "staunch" ally despite the repeated broadsides from Mr Trump.
Sir Keir decided on Sunday that UK bases, including the joint UK-US Diego Garcia site in the Chagos Islands and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, could be used in the conflict, but only so the US can strike defensively to protect countries being targeted by Tehran.
HMS Dragon is being readied to depart for the Mediterranean and will be accompanied by two Wildcat helicopters equipped with so-called "drone busting" Martlet missiles, so it can protect Britain's bases in Cyprus.
The warship, which is emblazoned with the Welsh red dragon on its prow, was pictured on Tuesday night at the Upper Harbour Ammunition Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth harbour.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Thailand early on Wednesday "due to the escalation in the Middle East".
It said in a statement: "Escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights.
"Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East."
Affected British nationals are urged to stay across the latest updates from their airline or tour operator and review their travel insurance policies before travelling.
Elsewhere, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said a vessel had been struck by a projectile off the coast of Fujairah in the UAE.
It said in a statement early on Wednesday: "UKMTO has received a report of an incident 7NM east of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
"The Master reported the vessel being struck by an unknown projectile causing damage to the steel plating. There has been no fire or water intake. All crew reported safe.
"Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."