The UAE this morning gave permission for a Flydubai aircraft to depart from Dubai, in order to transport British citizens wanting to return to the United Kingdom.

Patrick Moody, the British Ambassador to the UAE, announced the flight details late on Friday, March 27.

We have checked with Fly Dubai. The flight today 28 March has permission to depart, is open to British citizens and has seats available including on connecting flight to Heathrow. If you need to leave the #UAE urgently, please book with the airline now. https://t.co/4GUiFnnOXo— Patrick Moody (@PatrickMoodyFCO) March 27, 2020

Flydubai flight FZ1749 departed Dubai on Saturday at 10:38 to Zagreb and passengers will then connect to London Heathrow this afternoon. According to the Flydubai website the flight was sold out.

The UAE announced last week it will temporarily suspend all passenger and transit flights amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Emirati authorities "have decided to suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE for two weeks as part of the precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of the Covid-19", the official state news agency, WAM, reported on Monday, March 23.