British airlines will resume commercial flights to Sharm El-Sheikh airport in December, Egypt's civil aviation ministry said on Sunday, days after a four-year ban on direct flights to the Red Sea resort was lifted.

 

British flights to the popular winter sun destination was 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.

 

The UK government lifted that ban last week.

 

Two flights will be operated every week to the city until March, to meet rising demand during the winter season, the ministry said.

 

The first December flight is scheduled to leave from London and will have 168 passengers on board, it added.

 

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.