Sharm el-Sheikh flight ban lifted by UK government with direct flights to resume after four years
FLIGHTS to the Sharm el-Sheikh are to resume following a four-year ban by the UK government, after the bombing of a Russian aircraft in 2015.
Tour operators and airlines will be able to be re-introduce direct flights to the once-popular Egyptian holiday resort.
In issued by the government, the decision to resume flights follows "improvements in security procedures at the airport, and close co-operation between the UK and Egypt on aviation security".
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, added: "We look forward to services to Sharm El-Sheikh resuming, and lifting the restriction is the first step in that process.
"We will now work closely with airlines who wish to resume flights to and from the airport."
According to , TUI is looking to reintroduce flights to the region depending on "customer demand".
Airlines which used to fly to the destination included Monarch and Thomas Cook - which have both collapsed since.
They both cited the flight ban as one of the reasons behind the financial struggles.
British Airways and easyJet also previously flew to the destination, and could reintroduce direct flights in the future.
The resort in Egypt was once a popular package holiday destination, with cheap flights and guaranteed good weather.
However, flights were stopped from the UK to Sharm el-Sheikh after 224 people were killed when a Russian flight was bombed.
Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed into the Sinai peninsula shortly after take-off from Sharm el-Sheikh.
Terror group IS claimed to be behind the attack, and said it was caused by a bomb hidden inside a drink can.
Is Egypt safe for travel?
According to the UK Foreign Office, some of Egypt is considered safe for travel.
They warn against all but essential travel to the Governorate of South Sinai, as well as the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta region.
Terrorist attacks are "very likely" although most occur in North Sinai.
Tourists are advised to remain vigilant and avoid religious sites during festivals.
However, approximately 415,000 Brits travelled to the country last year, with the majority of holidays trouble-free.
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The region became a ghost town after the ban, with images showing shops and restaurants closed due to a lack of tourists.
Some Brits continued to holiday at Sharm el-Sheikh, however, by flying indirect through Cairo.
Since the flight ban, other resorts have since surged in popularity including Hurghada and Marsa Alam, with cheap deals on offer for Brits.
And despite the ban, Egypt has seen growth in UK tourists by 39 per cent last year.