700 Scots stuck in Sharm el-Sheikh after plane crash

Travel operators have responded to the UK Government’s warnings by grounding flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, leaving an estimated 20,000 British holidaymakers and ex-pats stuck in Egypt.

EasyJet, Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook and British Airways are amongst the companies which have cancelled flights to and from the  resort, following the Foreign Office’s warning against “all but essential” travel.

Nicola Sturgeon said at First Minister’s Questions that her resilience committee are aware of an estimated 700 Scots currently stranded in the Egyptian city.

Direct flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Sharm el-Sheikh have made it an ever more popular destination with Scots.

224 people were killed when a Metrojet flight bound for St Petersburg from Sharm el-Sheikh crashed in the Sinai desert on Saturday.

The suddenness of the crash, the lack of an SOS call and The Russian Federation’s recent military action in Syria have fuelled speculation that the passenger aircraft was downed by an explosive on board or fired from the ground.

Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken to Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi  to discuss security at the resort’s airport.