Bad news for Egypt: BA cancels Sharm El-Sheikh winter flights

Reuters
A British Airways passenger plane flies in the sky with the moon seen in the background, in London, Britain, in this January 19, 2016 photo. (REUTERS)

LONDON: British Airways has extended its suspension of flights to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh indefinitely, becoming the first major UK airline to cancel departures for the crucial winter season in Egypt.
British and Russian governments banned their airlines from flying to Sharm El-Sheikh, a popular winter sun destination, because of concerns about security at the local airport after the suspected bombing of a Russian passenger jet in October 2015 killed all 224 people on board.
Tourism is a key source of income for the Egyptian economy but the number of tourists fell 40 percent in the first quarter of 2016, partly hurt by the flight ban keeping British and Russian tourists away.
“The safety and security of our customers will always be our top priorities and we have suspended our flights from Gatwick to Sharm El-Sheikh indefinitely,” British Airways said in a statement on Tuesday.
Customers with bookings on any canceled services for the winter season will be offered a full refund or can put the money toward a new flight to an alternative destination, it added.
Other British airlines, such as Monarch and easyJet, have previously said they hoped to restart flights to Sharm El-Sheikh for the winter season beginning in October, although that is dependent on advice from the UK government, which has so far not changed.
Egyptian Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed last month called on the British and Russian governments to rethink their position on the flight ban.
Egypt’s efforts to revive its tourism industry suffered a fresh blow in May when an EgyptAir plane crashed into the Mediterranean, killing all 66 people on board. The cause of the crash is still unknown.