For tourists stranded in Egypt, frustrations grow
Security tightens as many wait for flights to go home
Frus- trations mounted Sunday for thousands of Britons and other foreigners stranded in this Red Sea resort since last week’s crash of a Russian charter flight amid concerns that it was brought down by a bomb.
Flights to take passengers home from the resort began over the weekend, but lengthy delays still remained Sunday. EasyJet Airways said passengers should expect a three- to four-day delay.
Britain and several airlines have suspended normally scheduled flights to and from the resort, while Russia has suspended all flights to Egypt because of security concerns.
As British and U.S. officials point to the theory that a bomb on board probably brought down the plane, airport security here and across Egypt has come under a microscope.
On Sunday, soldiers holding AK-47s stood guard at extra security checkpoints set up outside the airport. Most cars were stopped by police, trunks were inspected, and mirrors fixed to rods were used to inspect beneath cars.
An affiliate of the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, has claimed it brought down the doomed Airbus A-321 but provided no evidence. All 224 people aboard died when the charter flight bound for St. Petersburg, Russia, crashed Oct. 31 over the Egyptian desert.
In the U.S., Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC’s This Week that if it is confirmed the plane was brought down by a bomb from an Islamic State affiliate, then “ISIS has now fully eclipsed al- Qaeda as the gravest terrorist threat in the world.”
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC on Sunday that if the bomb is confirmed, it will require a potential rethinking of airport security where the militant group is active.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry bristled at statements by British and U.S. officials about the prospect of a bomb, saying Egypt expected the information “would be communicated to us instead of being broadcast” to the news media.
British vacationers here with carts of luggage waited in long lines Sunday to pass airport security.
“There wasn’t anything to go through when we came out,” Wendy Edgar said about the security when she and her husband flew to Sharm el-Sheik last Monday, two days after the airliner crashed. Edgar was flying back to London on EasyJet after her original return flight was canceled Friday.
“Obviously this time there’s the guys to go through coming in,” she said of the police checkpoint. “I still wouldn’t say they’re doing a lot with the mirror things, but they’re looking at the cars anyway.
Asked if she would return in the future, she said she would “be nervous about it, only at the moment.”
“I’d love to come back, the people have been lovely, the hotel has been lovely,” she said. “I’m just nervous about flying and everything we’ve heard about an exploded device being on the flight.”
Other British travelers leaving Sharm el-Sheik airport were less worried and said they enjoyed their stay.
“We love it, would come back instantly — the Egyptian people have been wonderful, and I feel sorry because their economy will now suffer,” said Sharon Ward, as she waited to fly back to London with her husband. Her flight on EasyJet was canceled Thursday, and the couple spent three extra days in the resort city.
“It’s silly people getting so upset, maybe they’ve got things to go back to, maybe they’ve run out of money, but for us, it’s not a problem,” she said, adding that she and her husband were retired.
While airlines such as EasyJet told their passengers to stay at their hotels, others requested passengers to convene at airports where they would be bused to new hotels.
“With EasyJet, they made it so easy, but with Monarch, it’s a different arrangement. You have to go to the airport,” said Ziad AlSayyah of London. “I’m going to miss work, everyone back home is worried.”
The investigation into the crash continues. The head of the Egyptian investigation team said Saturday that a “noise” from an undetermined source was heard immediately before the “black box,” or voice data recorder went dark.
Ayman el-Muqadem said his team was “considering all possible scenarios for the cause of the accident” and has not yet reached any conclusions. The Egyptianled team also includes members from Russia, France, Germany and Ireland.
Egyptian airport and security officials said an investigation has been launched into any local staff and ground crew in Sharm elSheik that came into contact with the downed Russian Metrojet flight.
In Russia, more than 1,000 mourners packed into the landmark St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg for a memorial service Sunday for the victims. Attendees lit candles and stood in silence as the cathedral bells rang 224 times to remember each person.