Airlines extend Sharm el Sheikh flight cancellations

EasyJet has extended the suspension of flights to Sharm el Sheikh up to  May 27 as the Government continues to advise against flying to the Red Sea resort.

EasyJet said cancelling flights now would provide some certainty for passengers booked to fly to Sharm in the spring and early summer.

It means that the airline won’t offer flights to Sharm over the Easter holidays and families already booked will have to defer their travel plans, switch to another destination or to another airline.

However, the airline might resume services in time for the school half-term break in late May if the Government lifts its ban on flights between the UK and Sharm.

British Airways has cancelled its services up to and including March 26.

The Department for Transport ordered airlines to cancel all regular services to the popular Egyptian resort last November after it was found that a bomb that brought down a Russian holiday jet had been smuggled on board at Sharm airport.

It has said that flights cannot resume until it is satisfied the airport has adequate security in place.

Passengers who have booked to travel to Sharm with easyJet up to May 27 can arrange a voucher for the original value of the flights to use towards alternative flights or receive a full refund.

The airline is suggesting trips to alternative destinations with good availability including the Canaries, Cyprus, Malta and Morocco.

BA customers are being offered a refund, the option to defer their flight or to switch to another destination.

Passengers due to travel on BA between March 28 and June 30 are also being given the option to defer their trips until after mid September or to cancel or switch to another destination.

Monarch has recently cancelled its flights to Sharm until February 14 while Thomson and Thomas Cook announced last month that they were cancelling their services up to and including March 23.

Responding to the news that BA and easyJet had announced further flight cancellations, Egypts tourism minsiter Hisham Zaazou said: "Egyptian authorities are working constantly with international security  delegations, and we have also appointed our own independent security expert advisors, Control Risks, to ensure Egypt has a world-class gold standard in airport security.

"By taking these proactive actions we remain confident that flight bans will be lifted in the near future which will allow tourists to enjoy Sharm el Sheikh as they did before."