John Howell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Howell on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects to be able to advise airlines flying from the UK that it is safe to resume flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Government has not yet concluded that it is right to lift the restrictions on direct UK flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh. The security of British nationals is the Government’s top priority. Our security experts take account of many factors in providing advice on whether it is safe to fly to certain destinations.

UK aviation security experts have worked closely with their Egyptian counterparts on the ground, sharing their expertise in establishing effective security arrangements. We continue to work in partnership in a spirit of cooperation, and are grateful for Egypt’s close engagement and partnership. We look forward to achieving the return of flights once we can be assured that the necessary security environment can be sustained.