Sharm El-Sheikh flights resume from the UK

FCO advises tourism can begin again to Egyptian Red Sea resort

Author: Pat
23rd October 2019
 

Restrictions on flights between Sharm El-Sheikh and the UK have been lifted, the government has announced.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) suspended direct flights between the UK and Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2015, following the crash of a St Petersburg-bound flight in North Sinai.

visitor numbers have plummeted since direct flights were stopped

Improvements in security procedures at the airport, and close co-operation between the UK and Egypt on aviation security, mean commercial airlines can now be allowed to operate routes to and from the airport.

The Red Sea resorts have seen visitor numbers plummet since direct flights were stopped, particularly from the UK and Russia. Before the atrocity, 20% of visitors to Sharm were from the UK, and a whopping 75% from Russia.

Egyptian authorities said visits to the country overall were increasing slowly, with more tourists coming from Arab countries.

Lifting the travel ban is the first step in the resumption of flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, which is a popular destination for UK holidaymakers. This decision supports air carriers to provide more choice to travellers hoping to visit the country.

The government will work with air carriers that have expressed an interest in operating flights as they develop their plans.

Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport said: We look forward to services to Sharm El-Sheikh resuming, and lifting the restriction is the first step in that process.

The safety and security of British nationals remains our top priority and this decision follows close co-operation between our aviation security experts and their Egyptian counterparts, and improvements in security procedures at the airport.”

Would you return to Sharm now the ban has been lifted? Let us know in the comments below.

 
 
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