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  "path": "/news/world/oman-government-chartered-flight-britons-middle-east-fails-take-off",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-05T04:31:35.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Clashes erupt in Manchester as pro-Tehran and anti-regime protesters face off at Ayatollah vigil",
    "US deploys cutting-edge laser weapons to halt Islamic Republic missiles",
    "UAE threatens to JAIL influencers who post 'misinformation' about Iran war",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe Government’s chartered flight to evacuate Britons from the Middle East has been rescheduled after failing to take off, it has been reported.\n\nThe aircraft had been due to depart Muscat, Oman, at 11pm local time on Monday but failed to leave the runway and has now been delayed until later today.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThousands of foreign nationals have been scrambling to return home as air traffic gradually resumes after conflict broke out across the Middle East following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday.\n\n\nOne passenger who was due to travel on the Government's chartered flight told Sky News: \"[The] check-in process took about four hours due to technical issues.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"We then got taken to the plane on a bus but had to stay on it for about one-and-a-half hours.\n\n\"No consular staff were present airside. They just left us.\n\n\"People started getting very agitated, banging windows, panic attacks.\n\n\"There are dozens and dozens of vulnerable people, young children and families.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe passenger described the ordeal as a \"total s***show\".\n\nThey added that passengers due to fly out on the aircraft have since been taken to a hotel.\n\nOman has seen an influx of foreign nationals attempting to leave the Middle East, as it lies within driving distance of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where both airports have experienced incidents involving Iranian drones.\n\nBritons who registered their presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and are now in Oman has been asked to sign up for a flight home.\n\n### CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST - READ MORE:\n\n\n\n\n  * Clashes erupt in Manchester as pro-Tehran and anti-regime protesters face off at Ayatollah vigil\n  * US deploys cutting-edge laser weapons to halt Islamic Republic missiles\n  * UAE threatens to JAIL influencers who post 'misinformation' about Iran war\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nQatar Airways has announced it will begin operating a limited number of relief flights from Thursday to help passengers stranded in the Middle East.\n\nIn a statement posted on social media, the airline said the flights will include services from Muscat to London Heathrow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam, as well as a flight from Riyadh to Frankfurt.\n\nIt added: \"Passengers are kindly requested not to proceed to the airport unless they have received an official notification from Qatar Airways for these flights.\n\n\"Qatar Airways will contact affected passengers directly with their assigned flight details, travel arrangements and next steps.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nOn Wednesday, the Foreign Office said it was working with airlines on more routes in the days and weeks ahead.\n\nBut the department has pleaded with Britons not to travel to Muscat International Airport in Oman unless they are contacted by officials.\n\nThe Foreign Office also updated its travel advice for Thailand, another tourist hotspot for Britons, early on Wednesday \"due to the escalation in the Middle East”.\n\n\"Escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights,\" it said.\n\nGB News has approached the Foreign Office for comment.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**\n",
  "title": "'Total s***show!' Chartered flight evacuating Britons from Oman fails to take off"
}