Only eight out of 29 planned flights to Britain will leave Sharm el-Sheikh on Friday to repatriate stranded tourists, Egypt's civil aviation minister said, blaming luggage restrictions for the reduction.
Hossam Kamal said that a requirement that passengers take only their hand luggage with them on the resumed flights had forced the move as Sharm el-Sheikh airport could not accommodate more than 120 tons of check-in baggage left behind.
Britain is working with the Egyptian authorities to bring tourists back to the UK safely, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday, calling the situation in the Sharm al-Sheikh resort "difficult and fluid".
Earlier, easyJet said Egyptian authorities had given just two of its 10 planned flights permission to take off from the resort, throwing into chaos British attempts to repatriate thousands of holidaymakers.
"We are working closely with authorities on the ground to ensure that we get British nationals home quickly and safely," Cameron's spokesman added. "This is a difficult and fluid situation."
