British Airways scraps Sharm el-Sheikh flight route indefinitely over terror fears

British Airways has scrapped all future flights to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh beach resort amid ongoing fears of a terror attack after a bomb brought down a Russian airliner last November.

The British government has advised airlines against flying to Sharm since shortly after a Russian Metrojet plane to St Petersburg crashed, killing 224 people.

BA initially canceled flights until a change in advice comes from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The airline’s decision to scrap all future services will be a blow to Egypt’s beleaguered tourism industry, but the airline insisted safety comes first.

“The safety and security of our customers will always be our top priorities and we have suspended our flights from Gatwick to Sharm el-Sheikh indefinitely.

“Customers who hold bookings on any canceled services for the coming winter season can claim a full refund or can use the money to cover a new booking with us for an alternative destination."

Other British airlines hope to reinstate services to the Red Sea resort. A spokesman for EasyJet said the budget carrier “remains committed to resuming services to Sharm,” but added it would not happen until the government’s advice changes.

Thomson Airways has suspended all its flights to Sharm until at least September 28.

“We would like to thank our customers for their continued patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused whilst the current FCO advice is in place,” a spokesman for the airline said.

Monarch has canceled all flights to Sharm until October 30. The airline said it hopes to resume flights at the start of the winter season. However, it added the FCO has yet to provide an “update or indications” as to when its travel advice may change.

The Association of British Travel Agents previously said it is up to the government to decide whether to reinstate flights to Sharm, when they determine security at the local airport is strong enough.

British holidaymakers were brought back from Sharm amid heightened security last November.
The decision to evacuate, made by the British government, was taken four months after 38 tourists were killed in Sousse, Tunisia, by an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) gunman.