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As Israeli attacks on Lebanon intensify ahead of a possible ground invasion, UK ministers say they are doing “everything we can” to help British citizens leave the country.
The Foreign Office “advises against all travel to Lebanon due to risks associated with the ongoing conflict between Israel, Lebanese Hezbollah and other non-state actors in Lebanon, and advises anyone in Lebanon to leave now”.
The preferred method is by a commercial flight. But options are extremely limited, with almost all airlines cancelling flights in and out of the capital, Beirut.
Seven hundred British troops have been sent to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of up to 10,000 Britons from Lebanon.
The Foreign Office says: “There are ongoing mortar and artillery exchanges and ai rstrikes in Lebanon, primarily on the boundary with Israel but also in other parts of the country, including Beqaa Valley and locations north of the Litani river.
“Southern Beirut has been repeatedly targeted by air strikes, including an attack on 20 September which injured hundreds.
“Tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon.
“In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice, and roads across the country could be closed.
“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign Office.
“Consular support is also severely limited where FCDO advises against travel.”
But how is it possible to leave? These are the key questions and answers.
Is Beirut airport still open?
Yes. Rafic Hariri International Airport is operating – but far from normally.
MEA, the Lebanese national carrier, is running a full programme of flights, including the usual morning departures to London Heathrow. According to data from Flightradar24, the only other departures are of private jets and some government aircraft flown in to bring citizens out, for example from Germany and Bulgaria.
The UK government stresses it wants British nationals to leave on scheduled flights. The problem is: demand for the few seats is intense, and finding space within the next few weeks is very difficult
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “I understand that there have been extra Middle East Airlines flights leaving Lebanon over the weekend, another scheduled for Tuesday and we have secured seats for British nationals on those flights.
“What we’re focused on at the moment is securing extra spaces on commercial flights for those who do want to leave and reiterating our calls for those to leave and to register their presence with us and book the first available flights.
“We’re also working to send a rapid deployment team to bolster the efforts of our embassy in supporting British nationals who want to leave.”
With capacity more than halved from Beirut, and large numbers of people of all nationalities seeking to leave Lebanon, The Independent has been unable to find any seats available up to and including the weekend.
Could an airlift be organised by the UK?
In theory, although the UK government has not raised that possibility. But it is possible that evacuation aircraft may be sent in by the UK as other countries have done.
Germany has sent an Airbus A321 to repatriate citizens to Berlin, while the Bulgarian government has dispatched a smaller A319 jet for an emergency flight from Beirut to Sofia. Jordan’s government sent a military transport plane.
Were the UK to launch such an operation, it would most likely be a shuttle between Larnaca in Cyprus and Beirut. The two airports are only 129 miles apart, representing a total flight time of around half-an-hour.
Can people leave by land or sea?
The FCDO “advises against leaving Lebanon through land border crossings”.
The border with Israel is closed. The border with Syria is open, but the Foreign Office advises “against all travel to Syria due to the ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions”.
Some travellers may decide to risk the journey to Damascus, because the airport in the Syrian capital is running normally – with flights to Kuwait City, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah (adjoining Dubai) probably the best bet, due to easier connections to the UK.
But some British nationals are travelling to the northern border of Lebanon, taking a taxi for around 100 miles through Syria to Turkey and flying back from Antakya airport via Istanbul.
The obvious destination for the evacuation by sea of British citizens would be Cyprus.
At their closest the two countries are 100 miles apart. But the distance from the key port of Tripoli in Lebanon and Limassol in Cyprus is about 160 miles, representing typically seven hours’ sailing.
Ferries formerly ran between Tripoli and the Turkish port of Mersin, but no longer.
How do I contact the British Embassy?
The Foreign Office says: “If you’re in Lebanon and you need emergency help from the UK government, contact the British Embassy in Beirut.”
But access to the British Embassy is by appointment only. The Embassy says: “To call us in an emergency or send us an online enquiry use our contact form.”
