Airlines to meet today to discuss flights to Sharm el-Sheikh
Airlines are to meet the Department for Transport today to discuss the safety of passenger flights to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which have been suspended since it emerged that a Russian jet that crashed in the region in October had been brought down by a bomb.
British Airways and easyJet announced this week that they would not resume flying to the Egyptian resort until January. BA has suspended all services until January 14, easyJet has suspended flights until January 6.
However, other airlines including Thomas Cook, Thomson and Monarch have only suspended flights until December, pending further advice from the Department for Transport.
Thomas Cook chief executive Peter Fankhauser revealed this morning, as he announced the group’s full year profits, that all airline operators were due to meet to discuss flying to Sharm later today.
Monarch and easyJet said last week that they would relaunch services to the popular resort as soon as the UK government felt it was safe to do so, although Monarch chief commercial officer Adrian Tighe said it would take a couple of weeks to resume flights.
Fankhauser said today Thomas Cook was waiting for advice from the UK government and supporting the UK and Egyptian authorities in making the airport safe.
It was revealed this week that the bomb that blew up the Metrojet flight shortly after it left Sharm, killing all 224 onboard, had been placed under Seat 30A or 31A, both of which were occupied by Russian holidaymakers.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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