Addressing the nation on Thursday (5 March), Starmer confirmed 4,000 British nationals have so far returned from the Middle East via commercial flights after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the weekend, bringing war to the region when Iran retaliated.
Attacks have forced the closure of several countries' airspace, including the UAE and Qatar, although the UAE has opened up "safe air corridors" to facilitate a limited programme of flights out of the country, mainly to get transit passengers on their way.
Around 300,000 UK nationals are understood to be in the Middle East, more than 140,000 of whom have registered their presence with the UK government via the Foreign Office.
Starmer confirmed that after the UK's first repatriation flight was delayed by a day owing to "technical issues", it successfully departed Muscat International airport in Oman, where airspace remains open, on Thursday.
The BBC, citing a passenger on the flight, reports that owing to the time taken to process passengers and get them onboard, the crew's allotted working hours elapsed meaning they would not be able to complete the first leg of the journey from Muscat to Cairo before the flight continued to Stansted.
Starmer said a further seven flights were due to depart the UAE for the UK on Thursday, with British Airways putting on daily flights from Oman. The PM added the government would also lay on additional charter flights in the coming days, and would continue working with partners "to increase the speed and capacity of airlift".
However, he warned the effort to get UK nationals home was "a huge undertaking". "It is one of the biggest operations of its kind," said Starmer. "Many times bigger than the evacuation from Afghanistan. It is not going to happen overnight.
"Despite airspace closures, we are working around the clock with airlines, travel companies and governments to open safe routes home."
