Egypt criticises UK on suspending flights to Sharm el-Sheik

[jewel]

The UK's move to suspend flights from Sharm el-Sheikh and carry out safety checks at the resort's airport amid fears that a bomb caused the crash of a Russian airliner has been criticised by Egypt.

A specialist British team has been sent to assess security arrangements after fresh intelligence led Downing Street to declare that the Airbus plane carrying 224 passengers "may well have been brought down by an explosive device".

But Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told the BBC that was "a premature and unwarranted statement" which risked devastating consequences for the country's vital tourism industry.

The "precautionary" measure was revealed by Number 10 as Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi arrived in the UK for a scheduled visit, due to include talks with David Cameron tomorrow.

The Prime Minister- who spoke with Mr al-Sisi about the crash by telephone last night - gathered senior ministers and security officials for a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee to discuss the latest developments.

All those on board - mostly Russian tourists - were killed when the Metrojet flight bound for St Petersburg from Sharm came down in the Sinai desert on Saturday.

The nature of the crash and the lack of an SOS call have fuelled speculation that it was caused by a bomb or missile, although Cairo has sought to dismiss claims that the crash was the work of Islamist terrorists, such as the self-styled Islamic State.

Number 10 said halting the flights would allow UK experts "to make an assessment of the security arrangements in place at the airport and to identify whether any further action is required".

The work is expected to be concluded tonight.

Extra consular staff have been deployed to the airport but there has as yet been no change in official travel advice - which excludes Sharm and other Red Sea resorts from a caution against "all but essential" visits to other nearby parts of Egypt.

Thomson said it had temporarily suspended flights to and from the Egyptian resort and British Airways said it was "liaising closely with the Government and awaiting further information".

Budget airline easyJet said it had postponed two UK-bound flights to tomorrow following the advice from Downing Street.

Around 330 easyJet passengers are affected altogether, and are being put up in hotels locally.

http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/sharm-e ... 4014693791

[crewmeal]

Is everything still running at Hurghada?

[newcastle]

HRG normal at the moment.

God forbid they send anyone to inspect airport security here. I doubt it would pass muster.

[Glyphdoctor]

I have to say I was somewhat impressed with the train station security just before this incident. They actually were paying attention to what was going through the x-ray machines and spotted two surge protectors we had in a bag and asked us to take them out and show them to them. Many Cairo metro stations have xray machines now too but they seemed overly concerned whether I had food in a bag (I didn't) more than anything else.

[newcastle]

I imagine we all have our tales regarding regarding airport security in Egypt. It's undeniably less stringent than most big international airports.

At least , as far as a failure on the land side is concerned, the main issue is a suicide terrorist who gets aboard with something. It's probably impossible to eradicate that entirely.

I'd be more concerned about the level of airside security and it may be that the UK team at Sharm found unacceptable shortcomings.

But if that were the case, surely they wouldn't think it was just an issue for Sharm?

I think it more likely that the UK govt have specific intelligence regarding a threat to UK flights out of Sharm.

[HEPZIBAH]

I think it more likely that the UK govt have specific intelligence regarding a threat to UK flights out of Sharm.

I am inclined to agree with you. It also has to be noted that the UK is not the only country to take this decision. I believe I read yesterday that Holland has also stopped flights to Sharm for the time being, and there may be other countries too.

[A-Four]

On Channel 4 news produced photographic evidence of the wreckage of the Russian aeroplane that indicated that a blast had come from within the airline itself. That is their view of the incident.

I did not write this up on here because, as always, anything written up by someone on here, that may be negative to tourism in Egypt, is seen as a twat, or perhaps worse.

[BENNU]

I think it more likely that the UK govt have specific intelligence regarding a threat to UK flights out of Sharm.

I am inclined to agree with you. It also has to be noted that the UK is not the only country to take this decision. I believe I read yesterday that Holland has also stopped flights to Sharm for the time being, and there may be other countries too.

As long as the Danish FO do not advice against it - usually the last to do so - you can fly from Denmark.

[HEPZIBAH]

I think it more likely that the UK govt have specific intelligence regarding a threat to UK flights out of Sharm.

I am inclined to agree with you. It also has to be noted that the UK is not the only country to take this decision. I believe I read yesterday that Holland has also stopped flights to Sharm for the time being, and there may be other countries too.

As long as the Danish FO do not advice against it - usually the last to do so - you can fly from Denmark.

After careful consideration...all 2 seconds of it ... I have no hesitation in saying that if I was to fly to Denmark from the UK I would choose to holiday there, I am sure that would be far more suitable for me than Sharm el Sheik.

[A-Four]

On Channel 4 news produced photographic evidence of the wreckage of the Russian aeroplane that indicated that a blast had come from within the airline itself. That is their view of the incident.

I did not write this up on here because, as always, anything written up by someone on here, that may be negative to tourism in Egypt, is seen as a twat, or perhaps worse.

It seems that it was not just I who watched Channel 4 news on Monday evening at 7p.m.

[A-Four]

On Channel 4 news produced photographic evidence of the wreckage of the Russian aeroplane that indicated that a blast had come from within the airline itself. That is their view of the incident.

I did not write this up on here because, as always, anything written up by someone on here, that may be negative to tourism in Egypt, is seen as a twat, or perhaps worse.

Although Egypt has still to give the official report, some of us were aware of the truth way back before November 5th, many Middle East countries effected by such outrages simply think the story will go away, as we see with a similar 'accident' in South Sudan, but we discover a positive move by Egypt.

The government of Egypt has this week been in deep negotiations with Germany and the U.K., to supply top grade security systems, similar to those at Heathrow for all its international airports. Let's hope they get rid of the laid back attitude of its staff.

[Robbo70]

The staff need to turn off their mobile phones and pay attention. At cairo last month, the ladies stamping passports all had their phones inside their hijabs and were chatting away while they stamped. In luxor, the guy supposedly watching the x ray machine was talking to his wife about what time he would be home, and when I set off the bleeper, the lady who should have patted me down didn't bother because she was texting or playing or god knows what. She just wafted me through and carried on with her phone. Mobile phones are distracting just about everyone in every day life, but in a job like airport security they should be turned off on arrival, back on when ever a break is due, and back off again till going home time.

[crewmeal]

Do you get a fine and 6 points on your driving licence if caught using your phone in Egypt??

[Major Thom]

If you did Crewmeal there would be so many banned drivers the roads would be a safe place to be. No body bothers about. Brake lights working to tell the driver behind they are stopping, nobody bothers signalling to show they are turning, no body bothers about red traffic lights. It's just nobody bothers about anything on the roads here. Mainly because there is no deterrent

[crewmeal]

Ah right lol I was jesting. it would be a major crime if the horn doesn't work though, just like India.

[carrie]

Yesterday a tuk tuk passed me with a great big toy plane fastened to his windshield, how he could see I have no idea, today one with silver foil all over his windshield with a heart cut out for him to see through. I know it's not safe and stupid but that's part of the reason I love living here, everyday something to wonder at and laugh.

[crewmeal]

Ah right lol I was jesting. it would be a major crime if the horn doesn't work though, just like India.

[Glyphdoctor]

I once rode on a bus in Cairo that the driver had decorated his windshield with various knick knacks and decorations, lots of them. So many that I decided to count them and there were at least 75.

[crewmeal]

Looks like UK carriers are in no hurry to come back to Sharm

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/177323.aspx

[Scottishtourist]

Will Sharm ever recover from this?
I've been reading TA and some tourists are opting for Hurghada instead.

So..is Hurghada awash with tourists at the moment?Or is it also suffering from lack of them?

Luxor never ever really recovered post revolution.
So is this dreadful incident the death-knell for Sharm tourism?

Will this man-made,purpose built resort become a great big white elephant?

Or do you think it will rise again like a phoenix and be the popular place it was?