Stranded British holiday makers head home

  • 08/11/2015

Nearly 2,000 British holiday makers stranded in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are returning home after days of uncertainty following the Sinai plane crash.

Britain suspended flights to the Red Sea resort on Wednesday after saying it feared a bomb may have brought down the Russian jet that crashed after taking off from there last week, killing 224 people, and warning about security at the airport.

Nine flights carrying 1,945 people were coming back to Britain on Saturday, according to transport officials - two easyJet, two Monarch, two Thomson, two Thomas Cook and one British Airways.

But the British government warned that some tourists may have to stay on longer in the resort before they can be flown home.

"With a limited number of flights able to leave Sharm el-Sheikh each day for the UK, it is likely that tour operators or airlines will advise some people to extend their stay at their resort," a government spokesman said.

"We understand that tour operators and airlines are working to ensure that, where people need to extend their stay at their resort, necessary costs will be covered."

There were estimated to be as many as 20,000 Britons in Sharm el-Sheikh when the jet crashed just over a week ago, and the repatriation process could take days.

The first eight flights, carrying around 1,500 travellers, returned to Britain Friday after restrictions were lifted, but tourists were only allowed to bring carry-on bags, with check-in bags due to be flown back later.

Eleven British aircraft are on standby in Cyprus to help airlift thousands of British tourists from Sharm el-Sheikh as part of a British evacuation plan, airport authorities said.

AFP