UK announces first Middle East repatriation flight

The UK government has chartered a repatriation flight out of Oman to help British nationals who want to leave the Middle East, as attacks continue to take place across the region.

The flight is currently scheduled to leave Muscat International Airport on 4 March at 23:00 local time (19:00 GMT), and will prioritise the most vulnerable people first.

British nationals and their spouse or partner, and their children under the age of 18 will all be eligible.

The Foreign Office said that it will contact British nationals to secure them a seat on the flight, and urged people not to make their way to the airport unless they have been officially called.

It said it would "continue to work with airlines to find more routes for people to return home".

Air travel in the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, with thousands of flights cancelled.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs on Tuesday that the "safety and security" of British nationals were a "top priority".

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