British airlines cancel more Sharm el-Sheikh flights

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

REUTERS photo

A string of British airlines have again delayed the resumption of regular flights to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh following a plane crash earlier this year.

The airlines first suspended flights after the crash of a Russian airliner near the Red Sea holiday destination on Oct. 31 in which all 224 people on board died.

Investigators have concluded it was downed by a bomb and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has claimed responsibility.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the attack had raised doubts about “the capability of the security on the ground” at the airport.

Extending previous announcements, Thomson and Thomas Cook say they are now cancelling all flights to the resort up to and including March 23.

Monarch and easyJet have pushed their resumption dates back to Jan. 25 and Feb. 29 respectively.

British Airways has canceled all flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh until Feb. 13.

The Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential air travel to and from the resort.

Tourist numbers in Egypt have plunged in recent months. The sector is crucial to the country’s economy, employing nearly one in nine workers.