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Libya

Answer

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) organised 10 chartered flights between 21 February and 28 February to evacuate British nationals from Libya, including four to provide onward travel to the UK. In addition, one charter flight that had been chartered by BP was also used to evacuate British nationals. This corrects the reply my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the right honourable Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Mr Douglas Alexander) on 7 March 2011 (Official Report, House of Commons, 7 March 2011, col. 840W), which stated that nine flights were organised, including three for onward travel to the UK. The provisional total cost of these flights was over £1 million. However, this figure will not he confirmed until we receive final invoices from the airlines. The first FCO chartered flight, a Boeing 757-200 was scheduled to depart from Gatwick Airport on Wednesday 23 February at 09.00 GMT but could not depart until 21.45 GMT on that day. This was due to a technical fault. The third FCO chartered flight, also a Boeing 757-200, suffered a technical fault. It was scheduled to depart from Stansted on 24 February at 13.15 GMT but actually departed at 16.50 GMT. The following chartered aircraft were used: three Boeing 757-200; two Boeing 737-300; two Airbus 320; one Boeing 737-800; one Boeing 737-700; and one Boeing 767.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

7465; 726 c312-3WA

Session

2010-12

Subjects

British nationals abroad Expenditure Repatriation Libya Charter flights

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk