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The UK Government charter flight will depart Oman on Wednesday evening for British nationals wanting to leave amid the ongoing conflict, with 130,000 Britons registered in the region
By Milo Boyd, Deputy Travel Editor & Commercial Writer
10:07, Wed, Mar 4, 2026 Updated: 10:26, Wed, Mar 4, 2026
Airspace has been shut over much of the Middle East (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The UK Government's evacuation of Britons from the Middle East is set to commence this evening as travel chaos in the region continues.
The first Government-chartered flight will be on standby on Wednesday evening for British nationals wishing to depart Oman due to the ongoing conflict. The magnitude of the travel chaos is hard to exaggerate, with experts drawing parallels to the 2010 Icelandic ash cloud that wreaked global havoc for over a month.
As of this morning, 9,419 Middle East flights have been cancelled since the onset of war. The United Arab Emirates, home to major travel hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has seen the most services grounded, with 1,056 cancellations recorded on Sunday alone, as per Cirium data.
However, there appears to be a slight improvement from a travel standpoint. Approximately 70% of UK to/from Middle East services are expected to operate today, up from 58% yesterday.
The majority of these are destined for Turkey and Egypt, whilst most flights to the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are expected to be cancelled today. As of 7am today, Cirium forecasts that 1,506 out of 5,563 Middle East flights will be cancelled.
Anna Lock, Sian Reynolds and Helen Howison, all from South Wales, arriving back at Terminal 4 of London Heathrow Airport from Abu Dhabi (Image: PA)
The Foreign Office has announced that the repatriation flight will leave Oman's capital, Muscat, at 7pm and is open to British nationals, their partners and children under 18 possessing a valid travel document. According to the Foreign Office, priority for the evacuation flight will be given to the most vulnerable and they will reach out to British nationals in Oman. A handful of commercial flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi arrived back in the UK on Monday and Tuesday.
Anyone who registered their presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and are now in Oman is asked to.
Register for a spot on a flight. The department has requested that individuals refrain from travelling to Muscat International Airport in Oman unless contacted by officials, whilst dependents who are not British nationals will need a valid visa or permission to enter or remain granted for more than three months.
On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs that the "safety and security" of British nationals was a "top priority". She indicated that Oman was likely to be the first place from which a repatriation flight would take off. Muscat, the capital of Oman, is a 280-mile drive from the UAE's biggest city Dubai, where many of the British tourists and expats are currently based.
Close to 10,000 flights have been cancelled since the war began (Image: AP)
Approximately 130,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East, with the Foreign Office stating it is collaborating with airlines to establish additional routes.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that Britain will dispatch HMS Dragon, one of the Royal Navy's six Type 45 air defence destroyers, to safeguard Cyprus following a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri. HMS Dragon is being prepared for deployment to the Mediterranean and will be accompanied by two Wildcat helicopters armed with "drone busting" Martlet missiles, enabling it to defend Britain's bases in Cyprus.
The warship, which proudly displays the Welsh red dragon on its prow, was photographed on Tuesday evening at the Upper Harbour Ammunition Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth harbour.
The Foreign Office revised its travel advice for Thailand early on Wednesday "due to the escalation in the Middle East". It stated: "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."
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Affected British nationals are encouraged to stay informed of the latest updates from their airline or tour operator and review.
verify their travel insurance policies before departing.
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