Egypt plane crash: 'Only nine UK-bound rescue flights' planned to leave Sharm el-Sheikh today

British tourists arrive at Sharm el-Sheikh airport hoping to get on flights home (AFP/Getty Images)

After Friday’s chaotic scenes at Sharm el-Sheikh airport, in which only eight of the planned 29 UK evacuation flights were able to take off, nine are planned for today. On Friday congestion at the Egyptian airport and confusion about permission to fly led to most rescue flights being cancelled, diverted or kept on the ground overnight.

At one point on Friday easyJet said: “The Egyptian authorities have currently suspended UK airlines from flying into Sharm el-Sheikh,” though that was later retracted. It operated only two of nine planned flights from the airport to Britain. Today easyJet, the biggest scheduled operator, plans only two more - both to Luton, carrying 440 people. The airline says it still has 4,000 passengers in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Around 15,000 more people are booked to fly on other UK airlines.

Monarch plans two flights this afternoon from Sharm el-Sheikh to Manchester.

British Airways is operating a single flight, which will fly out from Gatwick this morning and back from Sharm el-Sheikh this evening.

The two main tour operators have scheduled two flights each. Thomas Cook plans an afternoon flight to Gatwick and an evening flight to Manchester, while Thomson has scheduled Manchester and Bristol departures this afternoon. Thomson, which is the biggest tour operator, hopes to operate 14 flights tomorrow.

The Department of Transport says it is “continuing to work closely with the Egyptian authorities and air carriers” to clear the backlog. The Government is telling passengers to contact their airline or tour operator for confirmation of their flight before travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh airport.