British Airways suspends flights to Cairo for seven days: statement

[rooster59]

British Airways suspends flights to Cairo for seven days: statement

 

British Airways logos are seen on tail fins at Heathrow Airport in west London, Britain, February 23, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Files

CAIRO (Reuters) - British Airways suspended flights to Cairo for seven days starting on Saturday to allow for an assessment of security there, the airline said in a statement, giving no details about what had prompted the move.

 

"We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world, and have suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precaution to allow for further assessment," the statement said.

 

The airline added that it would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so. When asked for more details about why flights had been suspended and what security arrangements the airline was reviewing, a spokeswoman for the airline responded: "We never discuss matters of security."

 

Three Egyptian airport security sources told Reuters that British staff were checking security at Cairo airport on Wednesday and Thursday. They provided no further details.

 

The British Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel by air to and from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, but has not issued similar warnings against air travel to and from Cairo.

 

The Egypt State Information Service could not immediately be reached for comment.

 

(Reporting by Lena Masri; Editing by Peter Graff)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-21

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[KhunBENQ]

Lufthansa wants to resume flights today.

And of course it's about "terror warnings", what else.

[OJAS]

And passengers booked on yesterday's flight weren't even aware of BA's apparent knee-jerk decision to cancel it until shortly before the scheduled departure time!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49059700

 

Typical bungling incompetence on the part of an airline with a "proud" track record in that regard IMHO. And an appropriate reminder for me of why I never fly with them these days.

 

 

[HLover]

Have to ask the local MI6 barstool experts the reason.

[VocalNeal]

^ One of my favourite scenes from The Imitation Game.

 

Someone asks  Stewart Menzies (Mark Strong) what office he is from. He responds MI6. Another person says there is no such thing as MI6 to which Strong replies "That's the spirit" 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Religion of peace got a new rocket launcher ? 

[Chelseafan]

3 hours ago, OJAS said:

And passengers booked on yesterday's flight weren't even aware of BA's apparent knee-jerk decision to cancel it until shortly before the scheduled departure time!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49059700

 

Typical bungling incompetence on the part of an airline with a "proud" track record in that regard IMHO. And an appropriate reminder for me of why I never fly with them these days.

 

 

How can it be "bungling incompetence" to ensure the safety of their passengers ? There's obviously something going on behind the scenes and whilst cancelling flights is inconvenient it's surely the most most prudent action - I for one applaud BA's stance although like you I never fly with them mainly because of their crap service.

 

[balo]

Probably some terrorists planning an attack in Egypt. Plenty of them there. 

[Lokie]

Or maybe security in lots of countries around Africa/ME and some Asian are very lapse at best and an utter joke at worse...

[We2Low]

11 hours ago, OJAS said:

And passengers booked on yesterday's flight weren't even aware of BA's apparent knee-jerk decision to cancel it until shortly before the scheduled departure time!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49059700

 

Typical bungling incompetence on the part of an airline with a "proud" track record in that regard IMHO. And an appropriate reminder for me of why I never fly with them these days.

 

 

And if something did happen to one of those planes you'd be the first to yell foul at the airlines/government for not protecting you. 

[OJAS]

12 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

How can it be "bungling incompetence" to ensure the safety of their passengers ? There's obviously something going on behind the scenes and whilst cancelling flights is inconvenient it's surely the most most prudent action - I for one applaud BA's stance although like you I never fly with them mainly because of their crap service.

 

 

3 hours ago, We2Low said:

And if something did happen to one of those planes you'd be the first to yell foul at the airlines/government for not protecting you. 

So how come no other airline has followed BA's lead by cancelling all their flights to Cairo until next weekend, then?

[Chelseafan]

3 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

So how come no other airline has followed BA's lead by cancelling all their flights to Cairo until next weekend, then?

Each airline has their own safety requirements, some better than others. BA wouldn't cancel flights and lose money and reputation unless they thought it was absolutely necessary.

 

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Each airline has their own safety requirements, some better than others. BA wouldn't cancel flights and lose money and reputation unless they thought it was absolutely necessary.

 

In which case it strikes me as totally unacceptable that fundamental safety issues are considered on a piecemeal - rather than collective - basis in the airline industry. In this particular instance I would have been expecting a common line to have been agreed by all the European airlines at the very least who operate international flights to Cairo. The lack of any perceived consistent approach must surely be sending out mixed messages as regards the credibility of any security threat, which are presumably of particular concern to those booked on non-BA international flights to Cairo this week.

[nausea]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

So how come no other airline has followed BA's lead by cancelling all their flights to Cairo until next weekend, then?

Just a wild guess but I would imagine this involves a particular threat to BA, maybe they have info. their security system has been compromised and/or they're being specifically targeted.

[arithai12]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

So how come no other airline has followed BA's lead by cancelling all their flights to Cairo until next weekend, then?

Probably UK has been singled out as a target esp. after what's happening with Iran etc. As long as the airline is taking measures to ensure that booked passengers fly with some other airline, I think the extra caution is good.

[GroveHillWanderer]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

So how come no other airline has followed BA's lead by cancelling all their flights to Cairo until next weekend, then?

Lufthansa also cancelled flights - they haven't said exactly how long for, yet. Also, as others have said, it may well have been a threat specifically against BA. If BA had information that their flights were under direct threat, what else would you want them to do - ignore it and just hope it didn't happen?

[sammieuk1]

The last transit through Cairo I did it was hell the multiple security checks airside is not inspiring any confidence that the airside is safe and scanner staff doing their best to relive you of your valuables together with 8 hours of death stares being the only white face. So I say well done BA just add Oman and Istanbul to your list????