UK sends second plane to Cairo to fly Britons out

Britain is sending a second chartered plane to Cairo to fly out Britons wanting to escape violence there and is advising its citizens to leave the city unless they have a pressing reason to stay.

Britain is sending a second chartered plane to Cairo to fly out Britons wanting to escape violence there and is advising its citizens to leave the city unless they have a pressing reason to stay.

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The plane will leave Cairo on Saturday after bloody clashes between supporters of President Hosni Mubarak and opponents who want him to step down.

About 180 people will fly back to London on Thursday in a 200-seater plane chartered by the Foreign Office earlier this week. Britain is charging its citizens 300 pounds ($486.5) if they join the flight.

"Given the continuing fluidity and unpredictability of the situation in Egypt, the FCO has decided to charter a second plane for British nationals," it said in a statement.

"We will provide further such flights as necessary."

The chartered flights will supplement existing commercial flights.