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Putin suspends Russian flights to Egypt after Sinai plane crash Putin suspends Russian flights to Egypt after Sinai plane crash
(about 1 hour later)
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has suspended flights to Egypt, a Kremlin spokesman has said. Russia has suspended flights to all Egyptian airports in an apparent acknowledgement by the Kremlin that a terrorist attack could have brought down a Russian-operated plane over the Sinai peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.
Related: Russia suspends Egypt flights until cause of Sinai crash is established – liveRelated: Russia suspends Egypt flights until cause of Sinai crash is established – live
The move came after the head of the Russian federal security service suggested it would be “expedient” to suspend flights until the conclusion of the investigation into what brought down a Russian-operated airliner over the Sinai peninsula on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. The Russian move came as British attempts to bring passengers home from Sharm el-Sheikh descended into chaos on Friday.
Russia had previously suggested the UK was pre-judging the outcome of the investigation when it and Ireland suspended flights on Wednesday to and from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The UK prime minister, David Cameron, has said it was “more likely than not” a bomb brought down the Metrojet Airbus A321-200. While Russia had earlier suggested that the UK was acting prematurely in halting flights to the Red Sea resort over terrorism fears, President Vladimir Putin ordered even wider restrictions on Friday, including halting all flights from Cairo. The head of his federal security services said it would be “expedient” to suspend flights until they had discovered why the Airbus 321 had crashed last Saturday.
“I think it will be reasonable to suspend all Russian flights to Egypt until we determine the real reasons of what happened,” Russian intelligence chief Alexander Bortnikov said in televised comments shortly before the Kremlin announced the suspension. “It concerns tourist flights most of all.” Russia initially dismissed Islamic State claims of responsibility for downing the Metrojet flight, which came weeks after threats of retaliation for Russian planes bombing Syria, and reacted angrily after David Cameron said it was “more likely than not” a bomb.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremin spokesman, said Putin was not suspending flights until the end of the crash investigation, but only until flight safety could be guaranteed, state news agency Tass reported. Russia will now follow British moves to bring its tourists home, up to 45,000 of whom are currently on holiday in Egypt, according to Russian tourist authorities.
“We need to make a clarification here: The president meant a suspension of air travel with Egypt until it is possible to establish the necessary safety level for air travel,” Peskov said. However, there were chaotic scenes at Sharm el-Sheikh airport as the schedule of “rescue flights” apparently agreed by airlines disintegrated during the day. Thousands of travellers who had gone to the airport expecting to leave, were delayed further. Eight EasyJet flights were scrapped in the morning, while empty Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson planes which had flown from Britain to bring back holidaymakers were diverted before reaching Egypt.
Putin also ordered the Russian government to establish mechanisms to bring its citizens home, Peskov said. Around 45,000 Russians are currently on holiday in Egypt, Oleg Safonov, the head of Russia’s state tourism agency, Rostourism, told Tass. EasyJet claimed Egyptian authorities were blocking their extra flights, as passengers were sent back to their hotels pending “top-level government talks” to resolve the situation. In extraordinary scenes at the airport, Britain’s ambassador to Cairo, John Casson, was heckled by passengers who shouted: “What is the problem and when can we go home?”
The Russian suspension, covering all of Egypt, is even more sweeping than that imposed by Britain, which had halted flights to Sharm el-Sheikh only. Related: Stranded tourists turn on UK ambassador at Sharm el-Sheikh airport
The UK government’s attempts to return stranded British holidaymakers from Sharm el-Sheikh have descended into chaos, as easyJet, one of the main airlines with routes to the airport contradicted senior UK and Egyptian officials over claims that Cairo was blocking unscheduled “rescue flights”. Egypt’s civil aviation ministry denied it was blocking any flights but said only eight of the 29 planned flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to the UK on Friday were operating because the airport does not have the capacity to store hold luggage. Only hand luggage is being allowed on flights back to Britain amid fears a bomb was placed in the hold of the Metrojet Airbus A321.
Related: Britain backtracks on Egypt evacuation claim amid airport chaos Egypt’s minister for civil aviation, Hossam Kamal, said: “The British airline [easyJet] wants to schedule 18 flights at the same time and wants to transport British passengers from Sharm el-Sheikh without their luggage, which we would have to transport later. This constitutes a huge burden on the airport because its capacity does not allow for that.”
Two easyJet flights left Sharm on Friday morning, but other passengers at the airport were sent back to their hotels, with the airline saying Egyptian authorities had prevented a further eight planes from arriving. Britain had expected that all passengers who were due to fly home this week before flights were cancelled over security fears, around 3,500 people, would have returned by Friday night. Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, had told the BBC: “We feel that should be possible.”
About 3,500 Britons have suffered delayed flights. In extraordinary scenes, Britain’s ambassador to Cairo, John Casson, was heckled by irate passengers who shouted: “What is the problem and when can we go home?” But as the day unfolded, a Downing Street spokesman said the situation was “very fluid … complicated and difficult”. He said a broken-down aircraft at the airport had contributed to delays on the ground. The first tourists to return to the UK arrived at Gatwick airport at 4.25pm.
Carla Dublin, travelling with her two teenage daughters, confronted the British ambassador, telling him: “We were told we were leaving today. Now we are being told that the Egyptian government is arguing with David Cameron about allowing in flights.” While Egypt said the decision was purely logistical, an EasyJet spokesman suggested it was a political decision. Egypt has rejected claims that Isis carried out the attack and maintains there is nothing wrong with security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
Egypt’s civil aviation ministry denied it was blocking any flights but said only eight out of the 29 planned flights from Sharm to the UK on Friday were operating because the airport has capacity to store hold luggage. Only hand luggage is being allowed on flights back to Britain amid fears a bomb was placed in the hold of the Metrojet Airbus. The country stands to lose a large, critical source of income in the region if the tourist industry is effectively shut down because of terrorism fears.
On Thursday night, the day after the British decision to suspend flights, Barack Obama said the US was taking “very seriously” the possibility that a bomb caused the plane to crash. Islamic State, which has not generally pursued major attacks outside its base in Syria, has claimed responsibility for bringing down the plane, but Russian and Egyptian officials have said the claim is not credible.
The Islamic State group, which has not generally pursued “spectacular” attacks outside its base in Syria, has claimed responsibility for bringing down the plane, but Russian and Egyptian officials have said the claim is not credible.
Russia is conducting an air war in Syria against Isis militants, who have promised retaliation.Russia is conducting an air war in Syria against Isis militants, who have promised retaliation.
The suspension of flights to and from Egypt may be the first sign that Moscow is attaching credibility to the theory terrorists somehow planted a bomb on the aircraft. American officials told Reuters that intercepted intelligence “chatter” supported the bomb theory, but no forensic evidence had yet emerged.
Egypt which stands to lose millions of dollars from its vital tourism industry maintains there is nothing wrong with security at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport, which each year welcomes thousands of vacationers to the resort. The suspension of flights to and from Egypt is the first sign that Moscow is attaching credibility to the theory.
In 2014, about 1.9 million Russians visited in Egypt, making it the second most popular holiday destination for Russians after Turkey. In 2014, about 1.9 million Russians visited Egypt, making it the second most popular holiday destination for Russians after Turkey.
Although the number of Russians holidaying abroad has been falling since the rouble lost half its value in 2014, Egypt has remained popular as operators have lowered prices for package tours there. In 2013, 2.4 million Russians visited Egypt. Although the number of Russians holidaying abroad has been falling since the rouble lost half its value in 2014, Egypt has remained popular as operators have lowered prices for package tours there.
Vladimir Kaganer, the general director of tourist agency Tez Tour, which said it had 10,000 clients in Egypt, claimed an evacuation order would be needed to bring Russian holidaymakers home. “If people are at a resort and they come to them to say a plane was sent to take you back, they would say: no, we want to be on holiday for two more weeks, we’re not going anywhere.” Vladimir Kaganer, the general director of the tourist agency Tez Tour, which said it had 10,000 clients in Egypt, claimed an evacuation order would be needed to bring Russian holidaymakers home. “If people are at a resort and they come to them to say a plane was sent to take you back, they would say: no, we want to be on holiday for two more weeks, we’re not going anywhere.”