Tourists continued to arrive at Sharm al-Sheikh airport to fly home, despite the cancellation of many flights.
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French television channel France 2 is quoting an investigator who had access to the recorder.
“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”, he said.
No explanation was given, but the airline said Egyptian authorities blocked the additional flights. Most of the victims were Russian.
Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, launched air raids against opposition groups in Syria including ISIS in late September.
Recent media reports citing sources close to the investigation of the crash say that a bomb planted on board may have caused the disaster.
“”We have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device.””.
Meanwhile, the head of Russia’s emergencies ministry said Russian experts had taken samples from the crashed jet and were testing it for any traces of explosives.
MARGARET WARNER: About 20,000 British tourists have been stuck, as flight schedules remain in flux.
A statement on its website read: “We are working with the UK Government at the highest level on a solution”.
RIA NOVOSTI/REUTERS The move appeared to be a startling about-face for Putin, but a Kremlin spokesman stressed it did not mean a terrorist attack was the leading theory as investigators analyze the wreckage.
The black box audio recording reportedly confirms the plane was brought down by a bomb, it emerged yesterday. The plane crashed 23 minutes after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St. Petersburg, with mostly Russian tourists aboard. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that “crucial intelligence” came to light after British and USA intelligence services “went back over communications of known fanatics in the region”.
Thomas Cook Airlines, easyJet, privately-held Monarch, British Airways and Thomson operate direct flights between Britain and Sharm al-Sheikh. “An evacuation order would be needed”, said Vladimir Kaganer, general director of Tez Tour.
Shoukry also complained that Western nations that have canceled flights to Sharm el-Sheikh did not share with Cairo the relevant intelligence upon which they based their decisions.
“The first officer was in charge at the time but the pilot was in the cockpit and saw the rocket coming towards the plane”, a source said.
British and Irish officials had announced Wednesday that flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to their countries would be suspended because of concerns about security.
KLM introduced new security measures on its trips from Cairo to Amsterdam.
This caused further problems as Egypt’s civil aviation minister said the volume of luggage being left behind by British passengers has disrupted operations at the airport.
Several passengers instead opted to take different flights.
Those passengers who did fly out were allowed to carry hand luggage only, with their check-in bags to follow separately.
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He said the government would find a way to bring Russians back home and would open talks with Egyptian authorities to guarantee flight safety. One in five foreign tourists in Egypt is Russian. Homeland Security will also conduct an “airport assessment” of passenger and baggage screening procedures at about 10 airports across the Middle East and North Africa.
