British Airways flights to Cairo suspended over security concerns

British Airways has temporarily suspended flights to Cairo for security reasons.

BA said its services to and from the Egyptian capital would be cancelled for seven days "as a precaution".

It is the only airline, aside from Egypt Air, to fly directly to Cairo from the UK.

Germany's biggest airline, Lufthansa, later followed suit, but their flights have now resumed.

In a statement, BA said: "We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world, and have suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precaution to allow for further assessment.

"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our priority, and we would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so."

A BA spokeswoman refused to give any further details about the decision and said: "We never discuss matters of security."

The spokeswoman later added: "We are rebooking customers who wish to travel this week on flights with alternative airlines. Customers who no longer wish to travel will be offered a refund."

It is understood BA made the Department for Transport aware of its decision before it made the announcement.

A government spokesman said: "We are aware that British Airways is notifying passengers that it has decided to suspend flights to Cairo temporarily."

The Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry said it is in touch with the British embassy which told Egyptian officials it did not take the decision.

It added that it will increase the number of flights to London from Cairo, as well as use a new Boeing 787 "to facilitate the travel of passengers" during the seven-day period.

According to Reuters, which spoke to three Egyptian sources, British staff had checked security measures at Cairo airport on Wednesday and Thursday.

BA said its passengers who were due to fly to the Egyptian capital on Saturday night were issued with letters informing them of the airline's decision.

Those turned away at Heathrow were perplexed and frustrated.

'Shanghai Dan' tweeted: "Currently about to board a @British_Airways flight to Cairo and it's cancelled. Not for a day. Not for two days but for seven. Security risk. Someone knows something we don't."

Rasha, who didn't give her surname, said she was booked on a flight on 25 July but was alerted by text about the suspensions.

The IT worker, who is from Egypt and has lived with her family in Britain for six years, said she was supposed to meet her husband, children and other relatives.

"It's just terrible," she said. "It may seem like I'm just missing my flight for a holiday, but I really need to go."

Those stranded in Cairo were equally confused and concerned.

"It's got a big impact on my job and business," Khalid Keshta told Sky News. "I've been in Egypt for about two weeks and everything has been delayed because of this. And I'm not quite sure when I'm going to back now."

Ayman Omar, also stuck in Egypt, accused BA of not providing sufficient information.

"It's just caused us a big inconvenience and we'd like more information as soon as possible, just give us anything about when we're going to get home, how we're going to get home," he told Sky News.

The Foreign Office's current advice warns against "all but essential" travel by air to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh.

That advice followed the bombing of a Russian airline which was brought down in 2015 shortly after leaving the Red Sea resort, killing 224 people.

But Cairo is part of a safer region, where the Foreign Office only suggests reviewing its advice before visiting.

Its website says: "An estimated 415,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2018. Most visits are trouble-free.

"Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt. Although most attacks occur in North Sinai, there is a risk of terrorist attacks across the country."

Aviation commentator and former airline pilot Terry Tozer told Sky News that BA constantly assesses and grades the security concerns it has and this particular one must have rated very highly.

"They'll be getting their intelligence sources from government and who knows where else," he said. "But they won't take a commercial hit like this lightly so they must feel that it's a sensible precaution."