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  "path": "/news/middle-east-first-uk-evacuation-flight-oman-lands-stansted-delay",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-06T04:05:35.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "the flight failed to take off",
    "‘Just a question of time!’ Donald Trump hints US may target Cuba after Iran war",
    "Keir Starmer stands by decision not to join Donald Trump in Iran bombing blitz",
    "Clashes erupt in Manchester as pro-Tehran and anti-regime protesters face off at Ayatollah vigil",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe first Government-chartered evacuation flight bringing stranded Britons home from the Middle East touched down at Stansted Airport around 24 hours later than scheduled.\n\nThe Titan Airways aircraft landed shortly before 1am after a refuelling stop in Egypt.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nOriginally due to depart from Muscat, Oman’s capital, on Wednesday, the flight failed to take off due to a combination of technical and administrative issues.\n\nThe evacuation comes as thousands of Britons remain stranded across the region following US-Israeli military action against Iran, which triggered retaliatory strikes by Iran across the Middle East.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\nForeign Office figures show around 141,000 British nationals in the Gulf have now registered their presence with authorities, including 112,000 in the United Arab Emirates.\n\nPassengers described the departure process as a \"complete shambles\" and a \"total s***show,\" with families left waiting on buses near the aircraft for hours without any communication from crew members.\n\nOne traveller named Mark, who was flying with his young family, told the BBC that check-in alone took two hours before passengers were left stranded on a bus for another hour.\n\nDuring the prolonged wait, one person is said to have suffered a panic attack.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nWhen the aircraft doors eventually opened, passengers were told the crew had exceeded their working hours, meaning the plane could not legally complete its journey.\n\nReports suggested no consular staff were present to assist the stranded Britons as the conflict with Iran continued to intensify.\n\nOne father travelling with his wife and young child said the previous day had been \"very terrible,\" with check-in taking nearly four hours before passengers were informed the pilot was on overtime and sent back to their hotel.\n\nA couple who had travelled to Dubai for a long weekend said they were forced to shelter in the basement car park of their hotel.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * ‘Just a question of time!’ Donald Trump hints US may target Cuba after Iran war\n  * Keir Starmer stands by decision not to join Donald Trump in Iran bombing blitz\n  * Clashes erupt in Manchester as pro-Tehran and anti-regime protesters face off at Ayatollah vigil\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSamuel Sharp said: \"Saturday, we ended up sleeping in a car park in the basement of the hotel with about 100 other people, after the alarms went off on our phones.\"\n\nHe added they received no guidance on when it was safe to return to their rooms, and heard a loud explosion after going up for breakfast the following morning.\n\nHis partner Amelia Reid, who required a wheelchair, said they left Dubai at midday on Thursday, drove directly to the Oman border and then took a coach to Muscat airport in the hope of securing seats on the Government flight.\n\nAnother family made the 300-mile journey from Dubai to Oman by car earlier in the week, spending 36 hours at Muscat airport before finally boarding.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nShadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel launched a scathing attack on the Government’s handling of the crisis, branding Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper \"weak and feeble.\"\n\nPatel accused Cooper of failing in her responsibility to defend Britain’s international standing and claimed the US, Cyprus, the UAE and Bahrain felt let down by the UK’s limited involvement.\n\nThe Shadow Foreign Secretary argued Cooper had not shown the leadership needed to safeguard military personnel, British bases and citizens abroad.\n\nForeign Office minister Hamish Falconer acknowledged the situation represented \"a consular challenge on a scale not seen since Covid\" and stressed there were \"no instant solutions\"\n\nSir Keir Starmer has confirmed more than 4,000 people had already returned via commercial flights from the UAE, with further charter flights planned in the coming days.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**\n",
  "title": "First UK evacuation flight from Middle East lands at Stansted after 24-hour delay"
}