Second UK repatriation flight takes off from Oman as Brits scramble to flee Middle East

The UK government has confirmed that a second repatriation flight for British nationals has departed from Oman.

This comes just hours after the first charter flight from the country’s capital Muscat arrived at London’s Stansted Airport this morning.

The UK Foreign Office announced the flight would depart on Friday afternoon, writing to X: ‘A second government charter flight took off from Oman today bringing British nationals home. The first flight arrived in London early this morning.

‘British nationals in Oman will be contacted when the charter flight option becomes available. Vulnerable people are given priority.’

More than 7,500 people have returned to the UK from the United Arab Emirates since Tuesday, with more than 3,400 returning on Thursday alone.

Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday that the government would launch additional charter flights ‘in the coming days’, adding that it was a ‘major initiative’.

The Prime Minister has faced heavy criticism over the evacuation of thousands of British citizens fleeing the Middle East after a repatriation flight from Oman was delayed by several hours this week.

Passengers of the first government-chartered plane were “traumatised” after the plane was grounded on Wednesday because the pilot was “overtime”.

Eyewitnesses claimed that people were having panic attacks, and some were desperately trying to return home to their loved ones due to delays.

Brits appear to have arrived at Stansted Airport early this morning after a ‘traumatic’ return journey from the Middle East

27-year-old Amelia Reid (in a wheelchair) and her boyfriend Samuel Sharp (pictured in a black hoodie) were stranded in Dubai

The young couple were greeted by their relieved parents and their beloved dog, Penny.

Traveling via Cairo, Egypt, the plane finally arrived back in Stansted, Essex, at around 12.53am on Friday morning.

Some described the long journey home as ‘traumatic’ and recalled check-in delays, fearful waits on buses and tense border crossings.

Amelia Reid and her boyfriend Samuel Sharpe, from Dartford, Kent, arrived in the UAE the day before the start of military action and said they had to take shelter in the car park below their hotel in Dubai before catching a flight home.

Greeted by their relieved parents and their beloved dog Penny, both 27, the young couple said: ‘We arrived in Dubai on Friday morning. We were staying at the Palm.

‘It was quite traumatic. Missiles flying over your head when you go on vacation is not something you expect. That’s what happened and now we’re back.’

The flight, which some said was at capacity, was bringing back families with young children and vulnerable people.

Amelia, in a wheelchair, added: ‘There were delays yesterday. There was a problem logging in.

‘Because it was a contract fight, they couldn’t get everyone under control easily.

‘We waited three hours to check and due to this delay the pilot went out of working hours and could not fly legally.

The government said it was prioritizing the most vulnerable and people were being asked to pay for their seats

The British set out from Muscat, Oman, and stopped in Cairo, Egypt, to refuel before landing in Stansted on Friday.

Amelia hugs her dog as she returns safely to the UK after hiding in the car park of her hotel in Dubai

‘It was canceled before boarding. We were waiting on the buses. It was quite frustrating.

‘We tried four different flights to get home. They were cancelled. So we decided to cross the border and take the bus to Muscat airport.

‘There were a few spare seats on the plane.’

When asked if the flight was full, Amelia Reid said: ‘Pretty much. There were a couple of spare seats.

‘But I think if he had gone yesterday (Wednesday) it would have been full.

‘Some people had flights pending with other companies.’

Samuel, also 27, said: ‘On Saturday, we slept in the hotel basement car park with about 100 other people.

‘We were stuck there all night and weren’t told if it was safe to go up. ‘We went upstairs for breakfast and then we heard another explosion.’

Others paid hundreds for a seat on a Government-chartered repatriation flight, never to be heard from again.

Poppy Cleary, 27, paid around £350 for her seat but claimed she ‘didn’t get anything back’ and was left stranded in Oman.

As frightened holidaymakers and British nationals scramble to return home, some families are paying up to £100,000 for private jets to escape the war-torn Gulf country. Image: Dubai airport this week

A Foreign Office spokesman told the Daily Mail yesterday that the first flight, which was due to depart on Wednesday, had been canceled due to ‘technical problems’.

British Fazal Chaudhri, 47, and his wife Federica Santoro, 41, have been living in Dubai for three years but managed to board a chartered plane and head to Reading, Berkshire.

Mr Chaudhri said: ‘When events started happening in Dubai on Saturday, we immediately set off for Muscat.

‘We thought we would get out as soon as something happened. We stayed in Muscat, checked in for the flight and boarded the plane and here we are.

‘For me and my partner, everything that’s been going on has been a bit stressful. There was room for improvement as there were a few technical issues with the flight.

‘But they were all working really hard. ‘The night we thought we were going to board the plane, we ran into some confusion and got stuck on the buses.’

Ms Santoro added: ‘We are fine, we are lucky to be able to get out.’

This is breaking news. More to follow.