Britain's budget airline easyJet said it will resume flights to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh this summer for the first time in over four years.

Flights on easyJet will resume on 7 June from Manchester, and on 30 September from Gatwick, the airline said in a statement on Wednesday. Flights on both routes will be operated twice a week and will go on sale on Wednesday 15 January.

The move comes following the lifting by the UK government of a four-year ban on direct flights to the popular winter sun destination in October, citing "improvements in security procedures at the airport."

British flights were suspended in November 2015 over security concerns after a Russian passenger jet crashed in Sinai minutes after take-off from Sharm El-Sheikh airport, killing all 224 people on board.

“Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada are both fantastic destinations for both summer and winter sun," said Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager of easyJet. "We know they will once again be a popular choice for our customers.”

Commercial Director at Manchester Airport Stephen Turner said the return of easyJet’s route to Sharm El-Sheikh is "very welcome and we are sure it will prove immensely popular with sun seekers all year round.”

The first British flight after the ban was lifted arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh from London last month.

Some 415,000 Britons visited Egypt in 2018 according to British government estimates, making the UK one of the leading sources of tourists to the country.

The resumption of British flights is expected to contribute to boosting the country's tourism industry, a pillar of the economy and a key source of hard currency.