Sudan: Evacuation flight carrying Britons arrives in UK
The first flight carrying British nationals escaping conflict-hit Sudan has landed in the UK.
The flight from Larnaca Airport in Cyprus, where those fleeing were first brought, arrived at Stansted Airport at about 14:25 BST on Wednesday.
British troops are attempting to get UK nationals out of the east African country during a 72-hour ceasefire.
A total of eight evacuation flights are expected to leave Khartoum by the end of Wednesday.
Documentation checks on those on board were carried out in Cyprus, before the onward journey to the UK.
The first onward flight to the UK is carrying about 250 people.
The prime minister's official spokesman said the "majority" of those on board the rescue flights were British nationals, but also included some allies' citizens.
"We're calling everyone forward and we have no issue with capacity, and people are being processed smoothly," he said, adding those travelling to the airport were not having significant issues.
Trapped British nationals had been told to make their own way to an airstrip near the Sudanese capital Khartoum, once it was clear the ceasefire that began at midnight local time (22:00 GMT) on Monday was holding.
More than 2,000 British citizens have registered in Sudan with the Foreign Office.
An RAF military plane is being used to pick up British passport holders from the airstrip and fly them to Larnaca Airport. The RAF plane then refuels, before returning to Sudan to pick up the next batch waiting at the airstrip.
The Foreign Office said its aim was for evacuees to be in Cyprus for less than 48 hours before taking up the option of flying to the UK.
But the BBC has since learned the airstrip being used for evacuations from Sudan is beginning to break up.
This is due to the sheer number of aircraft taking off and landing damaging the surface, according to a well-placed source.
There are concerns about how long the airstrip can continue to be used safely for evacuations over the next couple of days.
If not, people might then have to take the potential alternative route to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast for a possible seaborne evacuation.
Government sources said they were aware of the issue with the runway and were confident it would not be a limiting factor in the flights.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons on Wednesday the UK "will continue to work to end the bloodshed in Sudan and support a democratic government"."We have begun a large-scale evacuation of British nationals and I pay tribute to all those carrying out this complex operation," he said.
Among the first group of evacuees to arrive in Cyprus were families with young children, some of them newborns, who were greeted by the Cypriot Red Cross which provided food and toiletries.
Speaking to the BBC at Larnaca Airport, passengers said they were delighted to be going home, but reaching the flight had been difficult because of limited UK government help.
One man said he had to take a bus with his young family and had never been so scared.
Yahya Yahya told the BBC it was "a very difficult time" and he was "thankful that we've finally made it to a safe place".
A British man whose sister managed to be evacuated overnight told the BBC she felt an overwhelming sense of relief to have escaped.
He said at one point she and 13 others had only four dates and one egg left to share between them because it was not safe for them to go out to look for food.
It is not clear why more British passport holders have not been on the flights so far, but some appear reluctant to leave relatives without UK visas behind.
On BBC Breakfast on Wednesday, Swansea-based Saleh El-Khalifa said his mother, who is a British citizen, aunt and elderly grandfather had made their way to Port Sudan, and contact from the Foreign Office had been "minimal".
He said the "timeframe" to reach the evacuation flight "would have made it almost impossible" for his mother to make it, and she was instead trying to reach Saudi Arabia and travel to the UK from there.
Around 120 British troops are supporting the evacuation at the Wadi Saeedna airstrip. Downing Street said the British military will defend the airfield in Sudan but clarified efforts would be made to avoid "active engagement" with other forces.
Clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began on 15 April. Hundreds of people have since died and thousands have been injured in the conflict.
Airlifting large numbers of people out of Sudan has been complicated by major airports becoming battlegrounds, and movement out of the capital has been perilous.
The government is also considering a seaborne evacuation from Port Sudan, some 500 miles from the capital. HMS Lancaster and RFA Cardigan Bay have been sent to the region.
Families with children or elderly relatives, or individuals with medical conditions, are being prioritised for the flights.
Only British passport holders and immediate family members with existing UK entry clearance are being told they are eligible for the evacuation flights.
On Tuesday evening, Mr Sunak visited the Foreign Office's crisis centre in London, which is overseeing the evacuation efforts. He told staff that "the next 24 hours are absolutely critical".
Speaking to the media, he added: "The security situation on the ground in Sudan is complicated, it is volatile and we wanted to make sure we could put in place processes that are going to work for people, that are going to be safe and effective."
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