Major confusion as most Sharm rescue flights are halted

Passengers expecting to fly home from Sharm el Sheikh today have been left frustrated and confused after Egyptian authorities said only eight of the 29 scheduled flights will be able to operate.

EasyJet had planned to fly eight empty planes to the Red Sea resort to collect passengers, but said it was forced to cancel.

Two other easyJet aircraft, already in Sharm, departed for the UK as planned but were only able to bring back 339 passengers.

Monarch said four of its five flights from the UK have now landed at Sharm El Sheikh airport, but the fifth has been diverted to Larnaca.

"Our current understanding is that we will be permitted by the authorities to allow two aircraft to depart today back to the UK," it said.

Monarch flights ZB097 to London Gatwick and ZB475 to Birmingham airport are now on their way, but the others will not operate today as planned.

Thomson was set to operate nine flights, but late on Friday afternoon was told it could only operate two.

Customers travelling on TOM733 to Glasgow and TOM397 to Gatwick are expected to depart later today, but all other passengers must remain in the resort.
 
"We continue to work with the UK Government to try and finalise our flying programme for the weekend and we will update accordingly when further information becomes available," it said.
 
It told all customers who can’t get home to remain in their hotels on the same board basis.

"Our UK team continues to liaise with the Government and the Egyptian authorities to try and resolve this fluid and continually evolving situation," it said.

Thomas Cook, due to fly four rescue flights, has yet to release an updated statement.

ABTA advised passengers to speak to their tour operator or airline for an update and follow any advice given.

"Holidaymakers will be entitled to overnight accommodation and food and drink until they can return home. This will be arranged automatically for people on package holidays," it said.

Television footage showed angry holidaymakers at the airport demanding to know why they have been told to go to the airport only to find their flights aren’t operating.

Others who were able to get on flights have posted on social media complaining they have no food or drink on board for the five-hour journey back.

All flights frrom Sharm are operating under special security measures mandated by the UK government, which continues to advise against all but essential travel by air to and from the resort.

Customers will not be able to bring any hold luggage with them on these flights – not even pushchairs, wheelchairs or large medical items. Only hand luggage is allowed, under the usual restrictions.

Instead, all hold luggage will be returned to customers under separate secure cover arranged by the UK Government.

The government said it was working with airlines to ensure there are ‘suitable arrangements in place to reunite passengers with their belongings as soon as possible’.

EasyJet, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson have announced the cancellation of future (non-rescue) flights from the UK to the resort until November 12.

Flights were suspended on Wednesday night by the UK government amid growing fears that the Russian passenger aircraft, which crashed in the North Sinai peninsula on Saturday, was brought down by a terrorist bomb.

The Foreign Office says it believes there is now a ‘significant possibility’ an explosive device was put into the hold just before take-off.

At a press conference yesterday, Egypt’s President Sisi confirmed a British security team had travelled to Sharm el-Sheikh 10 months ago and concluded the airport’s security systems in place were fine.

But when new information about the crash came to light, the UK government sent a team to the airport and decided security was not tight enough.

Foreign secretary Philip Hammond warned the travel disruption could continue for weeks.

National media claim around 20,000 Brits are currently staying in or around Sharm el Sheikh, but ABTA said around 9,000 Brits are on package holidays and this accounts for the vast majority.

The suspension of flights only applies to Sharm El Sheikh airport, not to flights in and out of Hurghada.

The FCO also stressed: "We are not raising the threat level in the resort. The advice applies only to air travel to and from Sharm el Sheikh."

Russia has now also ordered the suspension of all flights to Egypt following indications that the crash was caused by a bomb.

President Vladimir Putin has asked for up to 50,000 Russian holidaymakers currently in Egypt to be repatriated.

Lufthansa has suspended its Eurowings and Edelweiss services to and from Sharm el Sheikh until further notice.