It’s been over a year since a Russian airliner was brought down over the Sinai desert after a suspected bomb attack, and UK airlines banned flights in and out of Sharm El Sheikh airport over security concerns. At the time, tour operators and the UK government said this would be a temporary measure until the Egyptian government dealt with security, but a year on the situation remains unchanged. This situation is different from other locations to which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travelling as there is nothing to suggest that the resort of Sharm El Sheikh itself is dangerous; the issue is purely with the airport.

Alternative Travel Arrangements

For people who are determined to travel to Sharm, there are other ways to get there. Perhaps the simplest method is to take a flight to Cairo, and then transfer onto an internal flight to Sharm El Sheikh. This does mean having to travel through the airport, and as the FCO have advised against using Sharm El Sheikh airport, there are insurance implications in taking this route. Events such as theft or airport delay which would ordinarily be covered would be excluded from cover, and as Egypt is outside the EEA, your EHIC cover is no good here either. One other option is to take one of the many charter flights to Hurghada, which is unaffected by the flight ban. From there, take a ferry across the Red Sea to Sharm El Sheikh, thus avoiding the airport completely.

Ample Accommodation

If you’re prepared to put up with convoluted travel arrangements to get to Sharm El Sheikh, the problems at the airport mean that there is lots of unsold holiday accommodation throughout the resort. Dealing independently with the hotel means that you are in a strong position to negotiate over the price for your stay. There is a wide range of accommodation in Sharm El Sheikh to suit all budgets and value for money is excellent. Check out the websites of hotels you are thinking about visiting, and email them to ask for their best prices.

Future Developments

Hoteliers and the Egyptian government are keeping up the pressure on the UK government to reverse its policy of banning flights into Sharm El Sheikh, with the aim of getting the resort back in the brochures for the winter 2017/18 season. Belgian and Turkish airlines have already resumed flights into Sharm El Sheikh, but there is no indication that any British airlines are going to do likewise. Lack of holidays to Sharm El Sheikh has meant a greater demand for holidays elsewhere in Europe and there are not the last-minute bargains which were often available in the past. We’re often not told about what’s going on behind the scenes in diplomatic circles, so an announcement that flights can resume into the Sinai Peninsula could come sooner than expected. But it seems that for the foreseeable future, holidays in Sharm El Sheikh are impossible for many.