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The UK government has lifted its flight ban to Sharm El Sheikh

Oct 22, 2019

1 MIN READ
Coastal scenery around the Blue Hole near Dahab in the Sinai, Egypt.

Coastal scenery on the trail from the Blue Hole near Dahab. Oleg_P/Shutterstock

Alex Butler

Writer

Dublin

I’m a packing-cube enthusiast, always trying to cram one more thing into my backpack before I hit the road. My dream trip would start in an amazing city where I can soak up the culture, followed by some relaxation in nature. Some of my favourite destinations have been Sri Lanka and Croatia. I'm originally from Canada, but since joining Lonely Planet in 2016 I’ve called Dublin home - or at least my home-base between trips.
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After four years, the UK government has lifted its ban on flights to and from the popular Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheikh.

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The Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) announced a ban on flights originating in the UK back in 2015, after Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 bound for St Petersburg was bombed, killing all of the 224 passengers on board.

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Located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, the region was a popular package holiday destination for Europeans. Known for its mega-hotels and the family travellers that favour all-inclusive holidays, its beaches were left nearly without the crowds after the crash.

According to a UK government news release, there have been improvements in security procedures at the airport and “close co-operation between the UK and Egypt on aviation security”. The government will now work with airlines that are interested in operating flights to the area. Grant Shapps, the secretary of state for transport, said in a statement: “We look forward to services to Sharm El Sheikh resuming, and lifting the restriction is the first step in that process.”

However, the FCO is still warning against all travel to the Governorate of South Sinai, “except the area within the Sharm El Sheikh perimeter barrier, which includes the airport and the areas of Sharm el Maya, Hadaba, Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Nabq, ” as well as other regions.

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