Flights suspended over security fears in Sharm el-Sheikh

The Foreign Office is currently working to resume flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, after they were suspended amid security fears.

Thousands are stranded after all planes were grounded when intelligence suggested a bomb may have caused a Russian jet to crash resulting in the deaths of all 224 people on board.

Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said: “The airlines are telling us that they expect by tomorrow they'll be in a position to start flying those British visitors back to the UK.”

"We're spending today with the airlines, with the Egyptian authorities, putting in place short-term emergency measures that will allow us to screen everything going on to those planes, double-check those planes, so that we can be confident that they can fly back safely to the UK."

Hammond also informed that short-term security measures were in place involving increased levels of baggage screening and searching. However, the UK will be working with the Egyptian authorities to look at long-term solutions to ‘allow the resumption of normal activity’.

Hammond continued to say there was a ‘significant possibility’ the crash was caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft. However, Egypt has dismissed claims by militants linked to the Islamic State group that they brought down the plane, while Russian experts say it is too early to decide.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Showery, voiced his disappointment about the decision to suspend flights and accused the UK government of making ‘a premature and unwarranted statement’ concerning the crash.