A UK Government-arranged flight out of Tel Aviv, carrying 18 British nationals, landed in Larnaca in the early hours of Saturday.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said that a UK charter flight left Israel, with further flights expected to leave in the coming days, ‘while commercial options are limited’.
According to British reports, the aircraft used for this repatriation flights was an Airbus 400M, provided by the Royal Air Force, as the commercial airline originally contracted to execute repatriation flights from Israel has been having difficulties arranging insurance.
Cypriot sources confirmed that among the evacuees were eight people with dual Cypriot and British citizenship.
Another flight organised by the UK Government may arrive tonight in Larnaca, the sources added, noting that Cyprus could be used by the British as a ‘complimentary route’ for repatriation flights if and when such a need arises.
Source: Cyprus News Agency