The 52 orphaned Ukrainian children bound for Loch Lomond and safe haven in the UK
ITV News' Mark McQuillan reports as the children finally touch down in the UK
To have followed the journey of these children to this stage, seeing them board the flight was a mix of emotions.
Joy. Relief. Sadness.
The joy is seeing their faces. 52 orphaned children from Ukraine, flying on an aeroplane for the first time, to the safe haven of the UK.
They’ve fled war and the journey to this point has been long. Taking their places on that flight their faces lit up.
An uncertain future lies ahead of them but for now they told me they are excited to see their new temporary home.
There is also joy from those incredible charity workers from the UK who risked their own lives to rescue these children from five different orphanages in the city of Dnipro.
Sally Becker from Save a Child said the children all cheered when the plane took off
But having seen the many, many obstacles they've had to overcome with these children, and to have seen them suffer so many setbacks, the overwhelming feeling is simple relief to get everyone on board at long last.
The sadness is perhaps less obvious but it’s something our team in Poland has detected over the last few days.
A chance to go to the UK is exciting for the 52, but the context is important.
On Monday, ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith met the children when they were based on the Polish side of the border
They are children - innocent children - fleeing the horrors of war in their homeland. They don’t know how long they’ll have to be away or what kind of home they’ll be returning to.
They’ve all been through a traumatic experience most would not wish on their enemy.
'We were all in tears': Daniel Burger from non-profit Magen David Adom describes the reaction to the flight taking off
This flight out, further away from Ukraine, is bittersweet for many of them.
What lies ahead is a warm welcome in London followed by a temporary home for them all in Scotland.
The 52 children can stay together and they’ll be based near Loch Lomond in Scotland with the support of the charity workers who have taken them this far.
From Heathrow Airport, Correspondent Neil Connery reports on the latest in their journey
The children, along with 7 Ukrainian carers who have travelled with them, have been asking me to see photographs of Scotland and questioning me about the local cuisine.
They want to take part in activities and join clubs and be part of their new community.
While I know there will be a few tears on board that flight tonight, there will be many more cheers. They have made it.