Russian President Putin halts flights to Egypt until safety and security

A Sinai-based group affiliated with Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the crash, which, if confirmed, would make it the jihadist organisation’s first attack on civil aviation.

Moqqadem’s comments signaled a rift between Egypt and other countries over the handling of the crash, which killed all 224 people on board 23 minutes after the plane left Sharm el-Sheikh.

At an emergency meeting in Moscow, the head of Russia’s FSB security service, Mr Alexander Bortnikov, said it would be prudent to halt flights for now. He replied: “It does not mean that under any circumstance”. American officials have repeatedly cautioned that the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder show everything was normal aboard the Russian Metrojet, investigators told AFP.

Russia suspended all flights to Egypt today, and the USA stepped up security efforts, as the search continues for answers to what brought down that Russian plane.

British and USA spies intercepted “chatter” from suspected militants and at least one other government suggesting that a bomb, possibly hidden in luggage in the hold, downed the airliner, Western intelligence sources said.

Around 1,400 holidaymakers were brought back to the United Kingdom yesterday but another 2,600 are still stranded in the Red Sea resort.

“It is genuinely shocking to think that the British Government has a few kind of information that could cast light on what happened in the skies above Egypt”, Ms Zakharova said. On its website, the flight status of the planes due to arrive in Sharm El Sheikh said they were delayed.

There is no global or European blanket ban and a few flights have continued from the airport, but France and Belgium have warned citizens against travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh and Britain has advised against all but essential travel by air to or from the resort.

MARGARET WARNER: About 20,000 British tourists have been stuck, as flight schedules remain in flux.

Exasperated British tourists who have waited for hours at the Sharm El-Sheikh airport heckled UK Ambassador John Casson after reports of more flight delays and cancellations.

“We investigated the reported incident at the time and concluded that it was not a targeted attack and was likely to be connected to routine exercises being conducted by the Egyptian military in the area at the time”, the Department for Transport said in a statement.