The first flight carrying British citizens out of Lebanon has landed in the UK as the conflict in the middle east continues to intensify. The plane landed in Birmingham at around 8pm on Wednesday night after departing from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International, with women, children and vulnerable citizens given priority by the Foreign Office . Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the safety of British citizens in Lebanon ‘continues to be our utmost priority’ and that more chartered flights will leave over the coming days.
He added: ‘The situation in Lebanon is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly. That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed.
’ But while the government paid to charter the flight, passengers onboard were forced to shell out £350 each in order to secure priority seating. There are around 4,000 to 6,000 Brits believed to still be in Lebanon, many of whom have been left unable to book flights out of the country due to cancellations and skyrocketing prices. When asked what he would say to British nationals who have not yet fled the country, Lammy said: ‘I urge them to leave because the situation on the ground is fast-moving.
‘While we will do everything we can to protect British nationals and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot anticipate the circumstances of the speed with which we could do that if things escalate in a ma.