Travel

Will Egypt remain an unsafe destination for Irish tourists?

Egyptian tourism has bounced back from terrorism scares in the past but the uncertainty around the Metrojet disaster leaves many questions

Passengers line up to depart from Sharm el-Sheikh Airport in the hours after a Russian aircraft crashed after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. Photograph: AP

Joan Scales
Thu Nov 5 2015 - 12:36

Egypt has been riding the rollercoaster of terrorism attacks and an uncertain political arena for more than 15 years. After each attack the tourists retreat to await the white flag. Over time, the safe destination area has shrunk to the Red Sea coastal resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and the Hurghada area. However, Nile cruises are back on the agenda with passage from Luxor to Aswan possible.

The latest suspected bomb attack on the Russian carrier Metrojet has closed traffic to the Red Sea resorts on the Sinai Peninsula for the moment. The Irish Aviation Authority directed Irish airline operators not to operate to or from Sharm el Sheikh airport or in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula airspace until further notice.

Flights from Ireland were due to begin operating from December and January for winter sun with Falcon Holidays and Red Sea Holidays. Egypt has been a good value winter sun destination with one-week packages to good quality hotels all inclusive selling for €499pps.

The Sharm el Sheikh area and the airport have been guarded by a ring of steel for many years. If the Metrojet crash was a bomb on board, safety and security for all passengers through the airport is undermined.

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Falcon Holidays and Thomson’s summer programme to Sharm el Sheikh ended last Thursday and subsequently they have no Irish tourists in Sharm el Sheikh. The winter programme is scheduled to begin on December 24th. Falcon Holidays is operating under the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and are continuously monitoring the situation.

“The safety and security of our clients is always paramount and at all times our operations will follow the travel advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Direct flights from Dublin to Sharm El Sheikh will return in January 2016,” said Niall McDonnell, general manager of Red Sea Holidays Ireland.

People who have already booked holidays for the winter will have to wait and see what happens. Normal booking conditions apply at present, which means if you cancel you may lose your money. Britons stranded in Sharm el Sheikh are expected to be repatriated Friday, though flights may be from another airport.

Metrojet