Thousands of British nationals stranded in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict faced further uncertainty after the UK government’s first evacuation flight from Oman failed to depart as scheduled.
The government-chartered aircraft, which was meant to fly British citizens from Muscat to London Heathrow on Wednesday night, did not take off because of technical problems, the UK Foreign Office confirmed, according to The Sun.
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Passengers had already completed check-in procedures and were transported to the plane by bus, but delays stretched for hours before the flight was eventually cancelled for the night.
One passenger said that the check-in process alone took around four hours due to technical issues, as quoted by Sky News, while people were later made to wait on buses near the aircraft for about 90 minutes.
“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. There are dozens and dozens of vulnerable people, young children and families," the passenger recounted, as quoted by the publication.
{{/usCountry}}“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. There are dozens and dozens of vulnerable people, young children and families," the passenger recounted, as quoted by the publication.
{{/usCountry}}Authorities later said the flight is expected to depart later after the technical problems are resolved and operational arrangements are made.
Britons stranded as conflict disrupts flights
The evacuation effort comes as the widening conflict in the Middle East, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, has disrupted air travel across the region. Airspace closures and security restrictions have led to mass cancellations, leaving thousands of travellers scrambling for flights home.
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More than 23,000 flights scheduled to operate to or from the Middle East since the conflict began have been cancelled, aviation analytics firm Cirium said, according to news agency AP.
Honeymoon couple among those stranded
Among those waiting for evacuation were newlyweds Darren Osbourn and Nicola Smith, who were returning to London after their wedding in Thailand when their flight was diverted to Muscat, according to The Independent.
The couple, travelling with their two young children, paid 1,400 Euros to apply for seats on the evacuation flight but never received confirmation that they had secured a place.
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Osbourn said they spent the evening waiting with packed bags in their hotel room before realising the confirmation would not arrive, describing the situation as an “extended honeymoon in a war zone”.
More evacuation flights planned
The UK government said the first charter flight was expected to carry about 180 British nationals and that additional evacuation flights are planned in the coming days, the report stated.
Meanwhile, more than 1,30,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the Middle East since the conflict escalated, officials said, according to AP.
(With inputs from agencies)
HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.