EasyJet Plans Two Flights to Rescue Stranded UK Tourists in Sharm El-Sheikh

The UK low-cost airline EasyJet will operate two flights to Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh to evacuate some of its British passengers after London suspended flights to this resort city on Wednesday, the air carrier said in a statement Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – British tourists are currently stranded in the popular resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after all UK flights to and from the local airport were suspended Wednesday after a Russian plane crashed in Egypt last weekend.

In a surprise decision earlier on Friday, Egyptian authorities reportedly prevented rescue flights from Britain from arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh.

"The two flights will be departing from Sharm el Sheikh shortly… This means that we will get 339 passengers home today," EasyJet announced in a statement.

The airline described the situation for UK flights in Sharm el-Sheikh as "fluid," adding it was told that Egypt would allow a restricted number of UK flights to depart from Sharm el-Sheikh on Friday, two of which are EasyJet flights.

A total of nine EasyJet flights had been scheduled to fly from Sharm el-Sheikh to London on Friday. However, following the suspension of flights on November 4 and 5, seven of these flights have been grounded.

The airline vowed to continue to work with the Egyptian and UK authorities to get its customers back home as soon as possible.

On Saturday, a Russia-operated Airbus A321 flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. All 224 people on board died. UK investigators reportedly believe the plane could have been brought down by a bomb.