New government rescue flights will bring home the most vulnerable Britons stranded in New Zealand this week.
Three flights from Auckland and two from Christchurch have been chartered as part of a £75 million state-funded repatriation effort.
People most at risk from of coronavirus will be prioritised for the flights, which aim to return more than 1,500 people.
More: More than 200,000 UK citizens repatriated – Foreign Office
New Foreign Office rescue flights planned for stranded tourists
Government working ‘round the clock’ to get Brits home from abroad
The first is expected to depart on Friday (April 24) and flights will continue to run every second day, with alternating departures from Auckland and Christchurch.
The government has opted for charters because it is no longer possible to book commercial flights back to the UK.
Tickets for the flights will cost £800. Those unable to afford travel costs and have exhausted all other options may be eligible to apply for an emergency loan from public funds, according to the Foreign Office.
Vulnerable people are classified by the FCO as those over the age of 70, those under 70 with an underlying serious or complex health condition and pregnant women.
A total of 2,600 Britons have managed to return home via commercial means since the outbreak of coronavirus, thanks to the British High Commission’s work with the New Zealand government and airlines.
Lord Zac Goldsmith, minister responsible for New Zealand, said: “We promised we would do everything we could to help get Britons home.
“Getting a commercial flight from New Zealand is now extremely difficult, so we are now going to bring back vulnerable British travellers on charter flights and will continue to support those who remain in the country.”
British High Commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke added: “We are doing all we can to help British people get back home to the UK, and new charter flights will help more people – particularly the most vulnerable – to do that.
“My team and I will continue to do all we can to support those who are still in New Zealand, throughout this crisis and beyond.”
More than a million British citizens have received help returning home on commercial flights since the outbreak of coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan, backed up by the FCO working airlines and foreign governments to keep flights running. Thousands more have flown back on special charters.
