First RAF flight for British nationals leaves Israel
As announced by the Foreign Secretary in the House of Commons, A RAF flight to take vulnerable British nationals and their dependents out of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) has departed this afternoon.
- The RAF flight to transport vulnerable British nationals and their dependents out of Israel and the OPTs left today
- Further flights will be based on demand and the latest security situation
- British nationals should continue to register their presence in Israel and the OPTs to be contacted with further guidance on potential further flights
Addressing the House of Commons today, the Foreign Secretary announced the first RAF flight to help vulnerable British nationals wanting to leave Israel and the OPTs has taken off this afternoon (23 Jun) from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.
The flight is for vulnerable British nationals plus their immediate family members who are eligible to travel. All passengers must hold a valid travel document and non-British immediate family members require valid visas/permission to enter or remain that was granted for more than six months.
The government has worked with partners in recent weeks to enable this flight to operate, with further flights to be considered depending on demand and the latest security situation on the ground. British nationals in Israel and the OPTs urged to continue to register their presence to be contacted with further guidance on any future flights.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
Throughout the crisis, the safety of British Nationals in the region has been our top priority. That is why the UK Government is working with the Israeli authorities to arrange RAF and charter flights to help those wanting to leave.
Today’s flight will bring British nationals and their dependents safely back to the UK. While the situation in the Middle East remains volatile, we are working around the clock to secure more flights and bring more people home.
Due to ongoing restrictions in Israeli airspace and the security situation on the ground, the government used an RAF A-400M aircraft for the flight from Tel Aviv to Cyprus – with passengers due to transfer on to a civilian charter aircraft for the onwards journey to the UK this afternoon.
Those eligible for the flights will be expected to pay for their seat – and payment will be taken on registration via the flight booking form. This fee will be refunded to those who are not allocated a seat – in line with the government’s approach to previous charter flights from the region.
UK Government officials have been working around the clock to keep British nationals safe, with consular officers deployed to the border in Jordan and extra consular support based near the border in Egypt. These officials are on hand to provide advice on onward travel to British nationals crossing and support to vulnerable British nationals. FCDO Rapid Deployment Teams are working across the region to bolster the support offered by British Embassy officials.
British nationals should continue to register via the Register Your Presence portal that will be used to confirm any further details in due course.
Commercial flights are continuing to operate from Egypt and Jordan, and international land border crossings to these countries remain open.
The situation remains volatile and the government’s ability to run flights out of Israel and the OPTs could change at short notice.
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