Some airlines have been suspended from flying to, from or over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt as investigators assess claims that terrorists were responsible for the recent Russian plane crash.
The A321 was 30 minutes into a flight from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in south Sinai to Saint Petersburg earlier this week when it came down.
Investigators are currently assessing the cause of the crash, however, US officials have suggested that a bomb was planted on the plane by Islamic State (ISIS) or ISIS affiliates, The Guardian reported.
“A bomb is a highly possible scenario,” a US official told AFP.
Image: AP
While airlines such as Emirates, Air France and Lufthansa immediately redirected flights away from Sinai, others are slowly following suit.
The UK foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said the government is now advising against all but essential travel through Sharm el-Sheikh airport in Egypt.
He said that there is a ‘significant possibility’ that an explosion on board the plane was responsible for bringing it down.
US officials are also believed to have suggested a bomb was planted on the plane by Islamic State (Isis) or an Isis affiliate.
Meanwhile, the Irish Aviation Authority said it has directed Irish airlines not to fly to or from the area until further notice.
An easyJet spokesperson confirmed the airline does not operate flights over the north and central Sinai conflict zone. British Airways would not confirm its routes, but said it ‘would not fly a route unless it was safe to do’.
