After four years, the British government has lifted its ban on British flights to the Egyptian Red Sea resort area of Sharm el Sheikh, imposed after poor security there allowed a terrorist bomb to destroy a flight bound for Russia.
Even after Egypt spent heavily to upgrade security there, the UK refused, until now, to lift the restrictions. Although flights by airlines including Turkish, Saudia, Kuwait and Egyptair have continued, Tuifly and Air Italy have been the only European carriers.
Sharm el Sheikh's popularity has been based on its beach resorts, popular with package vacation buyers. Two of the airlines that accounted for a good share of the business there, Monarch and Thomas Cook, have gone out of business in the meantime.
Among airlines interested in returning to the market are EasyJet and Tui, but no schedules have been announced. The lifting of restrictions by the UK leaves only Russia with a ban on service there, and it is expected to be lifted soon.
Photo: Sharm el Sheikh from hotel balcony (Ian Sewell/Wikimedia)
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