Theresa May urged to review Sharm flight ban

Sunday, 25 Feb, 2019 0

Red Sea Holidays has written to Prime Minister Theresa May, urging her to resume flights to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

The letter, written by the operator’s executive director Peter Kearns, was sent first class on Monday, and should be on the PM’s desk when she returns to work after attending the summit with EU and Arab leaders.

In the letter, Kearns said: "I trust your arrival and departure from Sharm El-Sheikh were as trouble-free as all the others during the time you were there."

The UK is the only European country, apart from Russia, that is still not allowing flights into the resort’s airport – although there is no UK guidance against visiting the resort itself.

Kearns added: "I write to ask if you would be able to prioritise an immediate review of the current ban on UK aircraft flying into the airport at Sharm El-Sheikh.

"Aside from Russia, the UK is now the only country still maintaining such a ban. During the week that includes the two days of your stay in the city, flight arrivals into Sharm El-Sheikh airport originated from Italy, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Denmark and Switzerland together with 12 other countries.

"As a leading independent British tour operator specialising in holidays in Egypt this request comes with a commercial edge as well as a common sense approach to the global problems caused by such acts as precipitated the current ban, which has now been in place for well over three years."

Egyptian State Tourist Office UK and Ireland director Amr El Ezabi said: "This summit has been attended by ministers and dignitaries at a high level and this is proof that people arriving at this airport are quite happy with the security measures.

"We need to understand from the Government why it is still not allowing flights into Sharm El-Sheikh."

Lisa

Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.

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