The UK has lifted a travel ban to the Sharm el-Sheikh following a four-year ban by the UK government after an Islamic State bombing of a Russian airliner in 2015.
The Department for Transport said improvements have been made in security procedures and tour operators and airlines will be able to re-introduce direct flights to the once-popular Egyptian holiday destination.
The Four Seasons Sharm El-Sheikh
In a statement issued by the government, the decision to resume flights follows “improvements in security procedures at the airport and close co-operation between the UK and Egypt on aviation security”.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, said: “We look forward to services to Sharm El-Sheikh resuming, and lifting the restriction is the first step in that process.
“We will now work closely with airlines who wish to resume flights to and from the airport.”
The Royal Savoy Sharm el-Sheikh
According to the BBC, Travel company, TUI said it would reintroduce Sharm el-Sheikh flights following the decision, “taking into account customer demand”.
British Airways and easyJet also previously flew to the destination and could reintroduce direct flights in the future.
The resort in Egypt was once a popular package holiday destination, with cheap flights and guaranteed good weather. However, flights were stopped from the UK to Sharm el-Sheikh after 224 people were killed when a Russian flight was bombed.
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Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed into the Sinai peninsula shortly after take-off from Sharm el-Sheikh.
Terror group IS claimed to be behind the attack and said it was caused by a bomb hidden inside a drink can.
Mövenpick Resort Sharm el Sheikh
The region became a ghost town after the ban, with images showing shops and restaurants closed due to a lack of tourists, however, some tourists continued to holiday at Sharm el-Sheikh, by flying indirect through Cairo.
Since the flight ban, other resorts have since surged in popularity including Hurghada and Marsa Alam, with resort deals on offer for travellers and despite the ban, Egypt has seen growth in UK tourists by 39 percent last year.
