A group of politicians is urging the government to lift its ban on flights to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The call follows a visit to the destination including an ‘air-side’ inspection of baggage handling at the airport.
Flights from the UK to Sharm el-Sheikh have been grounded for almost a year following the terrorist downing of a Russian charter aircraft following take off from the resort’s airport killing all 224 people on board.
The four members of the all-party parliamentary group on Egypt were given a briefing on the security procedures that have been introduced in the airport and across the resort areas during a week-long visit.
Group chairman Sir Gerald Howarth MP said in a recent TV interview, that a representative of the Department for Transport “felt that the conditions had been met to enable flights to resume”.
Sir Gerald said: “We thought that they’d put in some pretty sophisticated checks there and we think a lot has been done.
“But, most importantly, we talked to a representative from the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport who also felt that conditions had been met to enable flights to resume”.
He added: I have already been in touch with the prime minister’s office and on behalf of my group, I have written a letter urging her to make a swift decision on this.”
The MPs also met the Egyptian president; ministers for justice, tourism and defence; the national security advisor; representatives of the Egyptian parliament, and the chairman of the newly formed Egypt-British parliamentary group.