To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) British and (b) British dual nationals are impacted by the closure of airspace in the Middle East by country; and what plans he has to support the repatriation of British nationals in the region.
Answered on
1 July 2025
It is not mandatory for British nationals to report incidents to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, or one of its diplomatic missions. The data we provide only cover incidents where we have offered consular assistance. We therefore cannot provide accurate reporting on the number of British nationals affected by closure of airspace in the Middle East. Two charter flights for UK nationals wishing to leave Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories have departed from Tel Aviv and landed safely in the UK. Further flights are being considered, taking into account the demand from British nationals. We advise British Nationals in countries affected by airspace closures to check the travel advice of the country they are in as well as any countries they plan to cross the border into.