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First chartered flight for Britons in Middle East fails to take off

Operational and technical problems, including pilot rest requirements and check-in delays, postponed the UK government’s first evacuation flight from Oman amid Middle East tensions.

  • On Wednesday, the UK government's first chartered evacuation flight from Muscat failed to depart and has been rescheduled for Thursday.
  • Officials blamed a cascade of technical and administrative glitches, and problems getting passengers onboard plus crew duty-time limits prevented departure within the available window.
  • Passengers described chaotic scenes at Muscat International Airport where check-in took about four hours and they spent one-and-a-half hours on buses and the plane before being taken to a hotel.
  • Hundreds of Britons remain in limbo after the delay, as the Foreign Office works with airlines and home minister Norris said the government arranged hotels and rebooking.
  • Amid the weekend's US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Qatar Airways announced limited relief flights from Thursday and Sir Keir Starmer noted more than 1,000 Brits have returned on commercial flights.
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Sky News UK broke the news in United Kingdom on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
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