Continued FCO warnings drive Thomas Cook to cancel planned flights to Sharm El Sheikh
Tour operator Thomas Cook has canceled its Sharm El Sheikh holiday bookings for the winter of 2017-18. It has also scrapped its summer 2018 holiday and flight programs, according to The Sun. The company had scheduled five winter flights per week, but scrapped them as a result “of the continued Foreign Office advice against travel to the area, which Thomas Cook had hoped would be overturned by next winter.” Thomas Cook is, instead, increasing its flights to Hurghada and introducing Marsa Alam as a new destination. Other travel companies, including TUI, continue to offer winter holidays for 2017-18 for the time being. A Thomas Cook spokesman said: “Egypt has been very popular this year. We’re expecting more than double the number of UK customers compared with last year, over 150,000 bookings … We put on more flights for the winter season just gone and for this summer to keep up with demand.”