Politics latest: Starmer to send UK fighter jets to Qatar as first repatriation flight set to land in UK
March 5, 2026 at 07:55 PM
By Maryam Zakir-Hussain and Athena Stavrou
British Airways announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Saturday
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British Airways announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Saturday LiveupdatedNewsUKUK PoliticsPolitics lates British Airways announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Saturday Monitor developments in Politics for further updates.
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British Airways announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Sa
British Airways announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on Saturday
LiveupdatedNewsUKUK PoliticsPolitics latest: Starmer to send UK fighter jets to Qatar as first repatriation flight set to land in UKBritish Airways announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow on SaturdayMaryam Zakir-Hussain & Athena StavrouThursday 05 March 2026 20:00 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverStarmer to send more UK fighter jets to Cyprus as Iran conflict intensifiesYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreSir Keir Starmer has announced Britain will send more fighter jets to defend allies in the Middle East as the first chartered evacuation flight from Oman is due to land in the UK in the coming hours.The repatriation flight was originally scheduled to depart yesterday but it was delayed overnight due to problems with âgetting passengers on boardâ.The prime minister gave an update on the ongoing conflict in the region, as defence secretary John Healey met his counterpart in Cyprus to ease tensions over Britain's response to drone attacks on the island.Sir Keir said at the conference: "I can announce today that we're sending four additional Typhoon jets to join our squadron in Qatar to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region."Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities are arriving in Cyprus tomorrow."The PM, however, resisted pressure to join the US directly in the war, despite growing criticism from Donald Trump, who branded him âno Churchillâ.Sir Keir also said he has not spoken to the US president since Saturday evening, but insisted that the âspecial relationshipâ between the US and UK is âoperating right nowâ, despite accusations the PMâs stance on the conflict has ruined it. RecommendedI have seen âthe special relationshipâ for the sham it really isâMy British parents are stuck inside an Iranian jail in the middle of a war zone. Iâm terrified for themâWill the Iran war be the making of Keir Starmer?Key PointsStarmer to send more UK fighter jets to Qatar but rejects pressure to join Iran-US war fightFirst charter flight from Oman 'took off a few minutes ago'- more to come this weekStarmer defends special relationship with US amid Trump's criticismPM hasn't spoken to Trump since Saturday eveningStarmer 'satisfied we can keep people safe'âA wrong and broken systemâ: Readers fear soaring bills as Iran war threatens to deepen cost of living crisisOur community voiced frustration and anxiety over soaring oil and gas prices, warning that a system tied to volatile global markets leaves households exposed, heating oil users unprotected, and consumers once again paying the price for political decisions and energy policy failures at home and abroad.Read more here:âA wrong and broken systemâ: Readers fear bills spike amid Iran warOur community voiced frustration and anxiety over soaring oil and gas prices, warning that a system tied to volatile global markets leaves households exposed, heating oil users unprotected, and consumers once again paying the price for political decisions and energy policy failures at home and abroadMaryam Zakir-Hussain5 March 2026 20:00First repatriation flight set to land in UK in the coming hoursThe government's first charter plane to evacuate British nationals from the Middle East is due to land in the next couple of hours. The flight was originally scheduled to leave Muscat, the capital of Oman, at 7pm on Wednesday.But it was delayed overnight due to problems with âgetting passengers on boardâ. The flight actually took off at around 2pm.British Airways has announced it will operate a fourth daily flight from Muscat to London Heathrow - a route it does not usually serve - departing at 10.30pm GMT on Saturday.Sir Keir said: "We will lay on additional charter flights in the coming days."British Airways is putting on daily flights from Oman, and we will keep working with all of our partners to increase the speed and capacity of this airlift."I want to be very clear, this is a huge undertaking."It's one of the biggest operations of its kind, many times bigger than
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