Britons are ‘glad to be home’ after flights back from Peru

BRITISH CITIZENS have said they are relieved and “glad to be home” after two repatriation flights from Peru landed at Heathrow airport yesterday morning.

They described a “scramble” to the airport in Lima following short notice and poor communication from the UK Foreign Office (FCO).

The planes touched down after the Foreign Office said it had chartered more flights from Peru, expected to arrive at Gatwick Airport today.

A woman from Yorkshire named only as Danielle said: “The communication has been pretty bad with the embassy – people started getting emails for their flights yesterday at 5pm, I wasn’t on the manifest but my partner was.

“I was ringing the embassy until one in the morning, didn’t get confirmation until three in the morning and had to be at the airport at six and even then I wasn’t on it.”

Danielle, who has asthma, said she had eventually managed to secure a seat. Her partner Matthew added that there were “hundreds” of stranded citizens at the airport and that the situation had been “stressful” as they waited for information about their flights.

“There were lots of queues, but it was stressful and the police were tetchy at times but we’re home safe and sound now,” he said. “You’re sat on the edge of your seat waiting for some news and there was none until the last minute and then there’s a scramble to get your bags together and get to the meeting point.”

Since the outbreak of coronavirus, the Foreign Office has helped to bring home almost 1,400 people on specially chartered Government flights from China and Peru and 1,900 people on cruise ships from places including California, Brazil and Japan.