Many of those on the Thomson flight had travelled to Sharm el-Sheikh last Monday, just two days after a passenger plane crashed shortly after take off from the Egyptian capital, killing everyone on board.
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In a sign to boost tourism in the city, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi paid a surprise visit to Sharm el-Sheikh resort on Wednesday to inspect the security situation. But as he spoke, dozens protested outside one nearby hotel over lay-offs.
At the airport yesterday, Mr Sisi promised that the Egyptian-led investigation into the cause of the crash would be conducted with “utmost transparency and integrity”.
Earlier in the day, a Russian search and rescue team that was brought to Egypt after the crash left to fly home to Moscow.
Usually buzzing with foreigners on a leisurely holiday, Sharm el-Sheikh’s night-time tourist spots have also turned into deserted squares. Saudia’s director general, Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser, was quoted as saying by the state news agency SPA that flights to Sharm el-Sheikh from Riyadh and Jeddah would increase by 75 percent from February 2016.
“Sisi is all talk and no delivery”, said Sayed Megahed, who heads the association of shop and bazar renters in the resort.
According to government data, tourism revenues make up around 11.3 per cent of Egypt’s GDP, while 14.4 per cent of the state’s income comes from foreign currencies. These indicators dropped dramatically following the revolution to 9.8 million visitors in 2011 and 9.5 million visitors in 2013 – a 36 percent drop from 2010. Officials had hoped for modest growth this year but the Sinai plane crash, coming at the start of the peak Red Sea winter holiday season, is likely to reverse that.
There has been much speculation surrounding the cause of the crash, particularly as ISIS affiliate Welayat Sinai released a statement claiming it had downed the plane using a missile.
Sharm el-Sheikh airport has been a particular focus for Britain for two years, given the high volume of United Kingdom visitors, and its proximity to jihadist groups operating in Egypt’s Sinai desert.
In a TV interview, Sisi urged not to jump to conclusions over the Russian plane crash amid the ongoing investigation.
He said the move to strengthen the pound would add further confusion about the fiscal policy in Egypt.
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Moscow has said its ban on flights is necessary because of concerns about security at Egypt’s airports.
