"It didn't take off because there are operational reasons about getting passengers on board, and it wasn't able to happen in the time that it had to happen. So that's now going to go today instead. A total of 138,000 people from the UK have registered for assistance, the government said, with 112,000 of those in the UAE."
"Most of the Middle East has found itself drawn into war after the US and Israel attacked Iran a week ago. An intense campaign of strikes from the two powers and retaliatory missiles from Iran aimed at US infrastructure in the Middle East has brought the majority of the region into the conflict."
"This includes Dubai, the world's biggest hub for air passenger traffic and a popular holiday destination for Britons seeking cheap luxury. The UAE city was hit with Iranian retaliatory missiles over the weekend, damaging the high-end hotels Fairmont the Palm and the Burj Al Arab, as well as the international airport."
A government-chartered rescue flight from Muscat, Oman failed to depart Wednesday night due to operational difficulties boarding passengers. Home Office minister Alex Norris confirmed the flight would attempt departure Thursday. Over 138,000 UK citizens registered for assistance, with 112,000 in the UAE. Approximately 1,000 have already returned via commercial flights. Two additional chartered flights are scheduled to depart the region this week. The Middle East conflict escalated following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, with retaliatory Iranian missiles striking the region. Dubai, a major air hub and British holiday destination, sustained damage to hotels and its international airport. Many British nationals remain stranded, including tourists and those with layovers en route to Asia.
#uk-evacuation-flights #middle-east-conflict #stranded-british-nationals #iran-israel-tensions #dubai-airport-damage
Read at www.theguardian.com
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