IRISH holidaymakers face being stranded in Egypt after Irish airline operators were told to suspend flights in and out of the region until further notice.
The Irish Aviation Authority mirrored the precautionary measures set out by the British Government yesterday after a Russian jet crashed in the Egyptian desert over the weekend.
The British Government said it was now investigating the possibility that the plane "may well have been brought down by an explosive device".
The plane destined for St Petersburg, Russia, crashed in the Sinai desert 23 minutes after take-off from Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday, October 31, killing all 224 people on board.
Most of the passengers on board the Kogalymavia-operated plane, which was registered and owned in Ireland, were Russian.
As a result Irish airline operators have suspended flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh Airport, Egypt and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula airspace.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland are advising against non-essential travel to the region, and that any Irish citizen scheduled to travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, or who are already there, should contact their tour operator or airline for further information.
Flights that were due to leave Sharm el-Sheikh for Britain on Wednesday evening were also suspended amidst security concerns.
The British Foreign Office is currently working to resume flights from the airport and it is hoped that services will resume on Friday.
Are you stranded in Egypt or were you planning to travel to the region? We'd like to hear from you - please email [email protected] or leave a comment below.
