A government-organised repatriation flight aimed at evacuating British nationals from the Middle East was delayed due to technical problems that prevented the aircraft from taking off from Muscat.
The plane was scheduled to depart from the Omani capital at 11 PM local time on Wednesday (7 PM GMT), but it was repeatedly delayed and ultimately did not take off.
This flight was expected to be the first evacuation organised by the British government since fighting escalated across the region over the weekend.
Passengers waiting to leave described the situation as a “total shambles,” with many saying the ongoing announcements of delays caused confusion and distress among those gathered at the airport.
Several travellers reported that the uncertainty triggered panic attacks among passengers eager to leave the region amid rising tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
One passenger told reporters that travellers had already boarded the aircraft before being informed that the flight could not depart due to technical issues.
“We were told it would leave several times shortly, but nothing happened,” they said. “People were exhausted and worried about what was going on.”
The aircraft never left the runway, and passengers were eventually disembarked after hours of waiting.
The flight has now been rescheduled for later on Thursday. The evacuation was organised by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office as part of efforts to assist British nationals in leaving the region following the outbreak of hostilities.
Officials have been urging Britons in parts of the Middle East to register with the government to be contacted if further evacuation flights are arranged.
The conflict has intensified since the weekend after the United States and Israel conducted strikes on Iranian targets, prompting retaliatory attacks across the region and raising fears of a wider war.
The UK government has stated that it is monitoring the situation closely and will continue to support British nationals seeking to leave affected areas. Passengers scheduled to travel on the delayed flight expressed hope that the aircraft would depart later on Thursday once the technical problems were resolved.
Leave a Comment