(qlmbusinessnews.com . Wed 11th Mar, 2026) London, UK —
UK Citizens Stranded in Middle East: Government Chartered Flights and Airline Updates
British Airways has declared a temporary halt to its repatriation flights back to the UK from Oman, citing “diminished demand”, alongside further cancellations of its services across the Middle East region.
A limited number of seats are still available for purchase on two flights conducting the Muscat to London Heathrow route on the 11th and 12th of March. Following these dates, the service will be put on hold, the airline has confirmed.
Furthermore, British Airways has cancelled flights to and from several locations including Amman (Jordan), Bahrain, Doha (Qatar), Dubai, and Tel Aviv (Israel) up until the 28th of March. In addition, the Abu Dhabi route, which the airline operates only during the winter season, is scheduled to resume in October.
The airline continues to operate a reduced service to Larnaca in Cyprus.
In a statement released on Tuesday, British Airways conveyed, “We are continuously monitoring the situation and are in communication with our customers, offering them a variety of options.”
Since late February, a vast number of flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled due to Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region in response to bombardments by the US and Israel, leaving numerous Britons stranded.
UK Government Chartered Flights Update
Since Friday, the UK government has managed to repatriate nationals through five chartered flights from the Middle East. The fourth flight landed in the UK from Dubai on Tuesday morning, with a fifth flight leaving later that same evening.
The UK Foreign Office has launched a booking system for further chartered flights; however, a government official has indicated that commercial flights remain the “quickest and most probable” evacuation option for British nationals.
Even as new flights are announced, the volatile nature of the conflict means the situation with air travel could alter swiftly.
Approximately 45,000 British citizens have returned to the UK since the 1st of March.
John Healey, the UK's Defence Secretary, reported on Monday that over 170,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East.
United Arab Emirates Flight Departures
Etihad Airways announced last Friday its plan to operate limited flights from Abu Dhabi throughout the current week following “thorough safety and security assessments”. Scheduled services include flights to London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK.
Emirates has also adjusted its flight schedule, continuing to operate flights to several UK destinations including Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Edinburgh, and Newcastle this week, available for booking via its website. On Friday, Emirates stated it would run 11 daily flights to five UK airports, pending continued airspace approval.
Situation in Qatar
Due to temporary airspace restrictions, limited repatriation flights are currently operational to and from Doha.
Qatar Airways has notified passengers affected by the disruptions directly, advising against travel to the airport without an official flight confirmation. The airline has announced a limited schedule of flights from Doha, including to London Heathrow, from Monday to Thursday. It plans to resume broader operations once Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority announces the complete and safe reopening of the nation's airspace.
Oman Flight Operations
Muscat has become an essential transit hub for those aiming to exit the Middle East amidst the current turmoil.
British Airways, operating daily repatriation flights from Muscat to London Heathrow since the 5th of March, has announced the service's suspension following the completion of two remaining flights scheduled on the 11th and 12th of March.
The UK Foreign Office has yet to advise against travel to the region surrounding the airport.
Oman Air has stated it will run additional flights to and from Muscat, including to London Heathrow, from the 10th to the 15th of March.
Flights from Bahrain
Gulf Air, the national airline of Bahrain, has declared it is now taking bookings for “limited flights” between Dammam (Saudi Arabia) and London Heathrow beginning from the 11th of March, catering to travellers eligible to journey to and from Bahrain. Dammam can be reached by road from Bahrain.
Given the closure of the airspace over Bahrain, no departures are currently taking place from Bahrain International Airport. Gulf Air has suspended operations until the Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority declares it safe to resume. Travellers with bookings up to the 21st of March are being offered flexible rebooking options or refunds.
Travel to The Middle East from the UK
The Foreign Office has cautioned against all but essential travel to several countries including Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
Despite a series of missile strikes leading to widespread cancellations of flights to the Middle East, a few services have nonetheless proceeded as planned.
Commercial flights at the start of the week, including those of Qatar Airways to Doha and Riyadh from London Heathrow, faced cancellations. On Tuesday, some incoming flights to Dubai experienced temporary delays due to a potential missile threat, as reported by Flightradar24. These flights subsequently landed safely.
In reaction to the disruption in the Middle East, certain airlines are adjusting their routes, with Qantas considering increasing its capacity to Europe, and Cathay Pacific adding more flights to London and Zurich in March as a response to rising fares on their European routes, according to reports from Reuters.
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