Egypt denies suspending British flights into Sharm al-Sheikh

In an apparent indication of frustration with easyJet, Downing Street said it was important for airlines to give tourists “accurate information”.

The ambassador is denying that Egypt is blocking the flights. “That would never happen anywhere”.

Several worldwide airlines departing Egypt said they would allow only carry-on baggage as consensus grew that a bomb placed in the cargo hold was likely responsible for the disaster. “They checked the security actions, they were happy with that”, he told a news conference, speaking through an interpreter.

President Obama also said Thursday that “it’s certainly possible that there was a bomb on board”.

“We’re going to spend a lot of time just making sure our own investigators and own intelligence community find out what’s going on before we make any definitive pronouncements”.

But the intelligence isn’t definitive, Obama said in an interview Thursday with Seattle radio station KIRO. “And the intelligence community is not really at a point where it can confirm either hypothesis”.

Six days after the tragedy, which left 25 children dead, Russian and Egyptian investigators are yet to reach a conclusion on the causes of the crash, but had been focusing on a potential technical fault, according to The Independent.

But many European governments have already taken steps to protect themselves. Returning passengers will only be allowed to take hand luggage on board.

No US airlines fly in to, out of or over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm el-Sheikh is situated. Officials in the United States and the United Kingdom have speculated that the plane was brought down by a bomb – a suggestion resisted by Egyptian authorities, who may be anxious about their tourism industry.

EasyJet on Friday said it had suspended its flights just hours after British authorities said flights had been resumed from the Egyptian resort amid tightened security, including a ban on carrying hold luggage.

The statement provoked angry recriminations from Russian and Egyptian officials.

British Embassy staff assist in the evacuation of tourists at the Sharm el-Sheikh worldwide Airport, south Sinai, Egypt, Friday, November 6, 2015.

Militants of the Islamic State terror group in the Sinai Peninsula have claimed that they downed the plane.

He said: “ISIL is a very direct threat to us in Britain”.

A senior U.S. State Department official says Secretary of State John Kerry has discussed the crash of the Russian airliner with his Egyptian counterpart.

EasyJet has announced that authorities in Sharm el-Sheikh have stopped a few of its rescue flights from leaving the country.

Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation Hossam Kamal says Egyptian airports comply with global standards and apply airport security measures.

It said the two leaders also discussed issues related to the joint fight against terrorism.

“I know obviously it’s going to effect them big time, the economy”, said Sabrina, a mother of two from London who had traveled to Sharm El Sheikh with her mother and children for vacation and was stranded.

“The additional security measures will include permitting passengers to carry hand baggage only and transporting hold luggage separately”.

However, other carriers suggested they were still expecting to operate flights back to Britain.

The crash prompted companies to ground flights from and to the Red Sea resort, stranding thousands of tourists this week. U.S.-based carriers do not fly to the city.