Egypt’s aviation network is facing fresh turbulence after five flights operated by EgyptAir, UK leisure carrier TUI Airways (flight code TOM), and other European airlines were cancelled across Cairo, Hurghada, and Sharm El Sheikh.

The disruptions, confirmed on December 30, 2025, have affected routes linking Egypt’s key tourist gateways with Cairo, London, Paris, and Rome, leaving some passengers temporarily stranded and amplifying wider operational strain during the peak winter travel period.

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Five Key Flights Cancelled Across Egypt’s Main Tourist Airports

According to updated operational data compiled from airport schedules and industry reports, a total of five departures were scrapped over the past 48 hours from Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and Cairo International Airport.

The cancellations include EgyptAir services on domestic routes, a TUI Airways flight from the Red Sea to London Gatwick, and two Europe-bound services from Cairo to Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino.

At Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, early morning flight MSR325, an EgyptAir Airbus A330 service scheduled to connect the resort city with Cairo at 07:00 local time on Monday, was cancelled shortly before departure.

The route is a vital domestic link for tourists and business travelers heading to the capital for onward long-haul flights, including connections to Europe, North America, and the Gulf.

Hurghada International Airport reported the cancellation of TOM771, a Boeing 737-800 operated by TUI Airways and bound for London Gatwick. The flight had been slated to depart at 17:45 local time on Monday.

With Hurghada serving as a major winter sun destination for British and European holidaymakers, the cancellation immediately affected package tourists and independent travelers trying to return to the UK or connect onward via London.

Cairo International Airport, Egypt’s primary aviation hub, registered three cancellations: EgyptAir flight MSR340 from Cairo to Hurghada on Sunday afternoon, as well as TVF4339, a Boeing 737-800 service to Paris Orly, and MSC2817, an Embraer-operated service to Rome Fiumicino on Monday. Together, these Cairo-based cancellations cut into both domestic connectivity and Egypt’s links with major European capitals.

Impact on Passengers: Missed Connections and Overnight Stranding

The immediate consequence for many passengers has been missed connections and the need for overnight stays, particularly for those relying on Cairo as a transfer hub.

Travelers arriving in Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada with plans to connect through Cairo to Europe have been particularly vulnerable, as the MSR325 and MSR340 cancellations broke key domestic legs in their itineraries.

At Hurghada, UK-bound tourists booked on TOM771 faced uncertainty over when they would be able to depart, with some passengers reporting that they were advised to remain in hotels while alternative arrangements were considered. For tour operator customers, re-accommodation and rebooking have largely been managed through ground representatives, but independent travelers have had to deal directly with airline customer service channels, often facing long waits and limited same-day options.

In Cairo, passengers holding tickets on the Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino flights found themselves competing for scarce seats on later departures, often via indirect routings through other European hubs. With winter travel volumes already high across Europe, rebooking options onto partner airlines and alliances were constrained, raising the likelihood of multi-day delays for some.

Travel agents in Cairo and Hurghada described the situation as “highly disruptive but localized,” noting that while only five flights were cancelled, they affected onward journeys for a significantly larger number of travelers, particularly those using Egypt as a bridge between Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Why These Routes Matter for Egypt’s Tourism and Connectivity

The routes affected by the latest cancellations carry outsized importance for Egypt’s tourism sector and international connectivity. Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada are central pillars of the Red Sea tourism economy, drawing millions of visitors annually from Europe for diving, beach holidays, and winter sun. Reliable domestic links from these resorts to Cairo help feed long-haul networks and support multi-stop itineraries that combine cultural tourism in Luxor and Cairo with coastal stays.

London, Paris, and Rome, meanwhile, are not only major point-to-point markets for Egyptian travelers but also critical gateways for inbound tourism and global connections. London Gatwick serves as a key base for British leisure travelers and low cost carriers, while Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino provide dense connectivity across continental Europe and to Latin America and Africa.

Economists and aviation analysts note that even small clusters of cancellations on these corridors can reverberate through hotel bookings, tour operations, and local transport providers. Tour groups facing unexpected delays may shorten stays or cancel excursions, while individual travelers confronted with complex rebooking scenarios may be less inclined to plan future trips during peak periods if reliability is perceived to be slipping.

The timing is especially sensitive: late December and early January represent one of the highest demand windows of the year for Red Sea resorts and for Egyptians living abroad returning home for holidays. Any reduction in available capacity or reliability on these routes comes at a moment when aircraft loads are already near maximum and operational buffers are thin.

Operational Factors Behind the Cancellations

Neither EgyptAir nor TUI Airways had publicly detailed a single unifying cause for the cancellations at the time of writing, but industry sources point to a mix of operational pressures. Winter scheduling complexities, tight aircraft utilization on popular routes, and broader staffing and maintenance constraints across global aviation continue to test airlines’ resilience, particularly when minor technical or crew issues arise.

Egypt’s aviation sector has also been operating within a wider environment of disruption. In recent weeks, airports across Europe have seen waves of delays and cancellations linked to weather-related issues, air traffic control capacity constraints, and industrial actions in certain markets. These factors can feed back into Egyptian operations when aircraft and crews are rotated through European bases and hubs that are already experiencing bottlenecks.

Earlier in December, various European airports recorded hundreds of delayed and dozens of cancelled flights in a single day, underscoring the vulnerability of the continent’s network to knock-on effects. When carriers like EgyptAir and TUI rely on tight turnarounds at busy European hubs, any significant delay can cascade into aircraft being out of position for subsequent rotations to and from Egypt, making cancellations a last-resort tool to reset schedules.

Additionally, Egypt’s reliance on a mix of national carriers, charter operators, and European leisure airlines creates a complex operational tapestry. Each airline manages its own maintenance, crew rostering, and contingency planning, but disruptions in one part of the system, especially at a major hub like Cairo, can quickly spread if there is limited spare capacity.

Response From Airlines and Airports

Airline representatives indicated that affected passengers were offered standard options of rebooking on the next available flight, rerouting via alternative hubs where possible, or obtaining refunds in line with applicable regulations. For tour operator customers on the cancelled TOM771 service from Hurghada, package providers have been coordinating revised travel plans, including chartering replacement capacity where feasible or shifting passengers to other regular services.

EgyptAir has emphasized that passenger safety and operational integrity remain core priorities, and that flights are subject to cancellation only when necessary to maintain those standards. The flag carrier has in recent months bolstered its technical and maintenance coordination following global concerns over aircraft software issues affecting certain Airbus models, signaling an intent to act swiftly on any potential technical irregularities.

Airport authorities at Cairo, Hurghada, and Sharm El Sheikh have worked to manage passenger flows in terminal areas, redirecting travelers to customer service desks and providing updated information through departure boards and announcements. Ground staff in Cairo reported increased queues at airline counters, but no major crowding incidents were observed, in part because the number of cancelled flights remained limited.

Travel associations and consumer advocates, particularly in Europe, continue to urge airlines to maintain transparent, real-time communication with affected customers, stressing that early notification can substantially reduce the stress and financial impact of sudden schedule changes.

Knock-on Effects Across European and Regional Networks

The cancellations in Egypt come against a backdrop of heightened disruption across European skies in late December. Multiple reports from passenger rights platforms have detailed days when nearly 2,000 flights were disrupted across the continent due to a combination of weather, congestion, and operational challenges at major hubs. Such conditions place additional pressure on airports like London Gatwick, Paris Orly, and Rome Fiumicino, which are central to the routes impacted in Egypt.

In practical terms, this means that travelers who lost seats on the cancelled Egypt flights have had fewer alternatives than they might during quieter periods. With load factors already high, spare capacity on other airlines is often limited to inconvenient times or indirect routings via secondary hubs, sometimes requiring overnight stops or additional airport transfers.

The situation also illustrates the interconnected nature of modern aviation. A local cancellation in Hurghada or Cairo can lead to missed long-haul departures from London or Paris, which in turn affects passengers heading far beyond Europe. A traveler from Cairo connecting in Paris for a transatlantic flight, for example, may now face extended delays in both Europe and at their final destination, adding layers of complexity to compensation and assistance claims.

Regional carriers in the Middle East and North Africa, many of which operate tight banked schedules through their hubs, remain alert to potential knock-on effects from European and Egyptian disruptions. While the current wave of cancellations in Egypt is relatively limited in scale, industry analysts warn that repeated clusters of disruptions can erode confidence, particularly among high-spending holidaymakers and business travelers.

What Travelers Should Do If Their Egypt Flights Are Affected

Travel experts recommend that passengers with upcoming flights to or from Egypt in the next several days adopt a proactive approach. First, travelers should monitor their flight status directly through airline mobile apps or official channels, rather than relying only on third-party comparison sites or reservation emails, which may not reflect real-time operational changes.

Second, passengers with tight connections in Cairo, London, Paris, or Rome should consider building in additional buffer time where possible. For itineraries involving separate tickets on different airlines, longer connection windows can help mitigate the risk of missed onward flights that are not covered by through-ticket protections.

Third, travelers are advised to keep documentation of their bookings, receipts for any hotels or meals purchased due to delays, and records of communication with airlines or tour operators. These materials can be crucial if passengers later seek compensation or reimbursement under applicable consumer protection rules in the jurisdictions where their flights are departing.

Finally, travel insurance policies should be reviewed before departure, with attention paid to coverage provisions related to delays, cancellations, and missed connections. Policies that include trip interruption benefits or higher coverage caps can help offset the financial burdens of unplanned overnight stays, new tickets, or lost prepaid arrangements.

FAQ

Q1: Which specific flights have been cancelled in Egypt in this latest disruption?
The latest update confirms cancellations of EgyptAir flights MSR325 from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo and MSR340 from Cairo to Hurghada, TUI Airways flight TOM771 from Hurghada to London Gatwick, plus TVF4339 from Cairo to Paris Orly and MSC2817 from Cairo to Rome Fiumicino.

Q2: Are these cancellations part of a wider shutdown of flights to and from Egypt?
No. The disruptions currently involve a limited number of flights concentrated at Cairo, Hurghada, and Sharm El Sheikh. Most services to and from Egypt continue to operate, although knock-on delays are possible given wider congestion in European airspace.

Q3: Which airlines are involved in the affected routes?
The cancellations involve EgyptAir on domestic and regional routes, UK-based TUI Airways on the Hurghada to London Gatwick service, and other European carriers operating services from Cairo to Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino.

Q4: What should I do if my flight to or from Cairo, London, Paris, or Rome is cancelled?
Passengers should immediately contact their airline or tour operator through official channels, request rebooking on the next available service, and ask about accommodation or meal support if they are stranded overnight. Keeping receipts and written confirmation of any arrangements will help with later reimbursement or compensation claims.

Q5: Are passengers entitled to compensation for these cancellations?
Eligibility for compensation depends on the route, the airline’s operating base, and the reason for the cancellation. Flights departing from the European Union or operated by EU carriers may fall under European passenger rights rules, while services operated by non-EU carriers from Egypt are governed by local regulations and individual airline policies.

Q6: How badly are Red Sea resorts like Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh affected?
The immediate impact is concentrated among passengers booked on the cancelled flights and those relying on them for domestic connections. The resorts remain open and accessible, but travelers may face longer journeys, rerouting, or schedule changes if their flights intersect with the affected services.

Q7: Could more flights to Cairo, London, Paris, or Rome be cancelled in the coming days?
Airlines have not announced a broader wave of cancellations, but operational conditions remain fluid during the busy holiday period. Weather disruptions or congestion in European hubs could still lead to further adjustments, so travelers should check flight status regularly in the 24 hours before departure.

Q8: How can I reduce the risk of missed connections on my Egypt trip?
Allow generous connection times, especially when changing between separate tickets or different airlines. Whenever possible, book through itineraries on a single ticket so that missed connections are handled as part of one journey, increasing your chances of automatic rebooking and support.

Q9: Are airports in Egypt providing assistance to stranded passengers?
Airport authorities in Cairo, Hurghada, and Sharm El Sheikh are directing affected passengers to airline help desks and providing updated information on departure boards. The level of direct assistance, such as hotel vouchers or meal coupons, depends on each airline’s policies and the specific cause of the disruption.

Q10: Is it still a good idea to book travel to Egypt in the near future?
Yes, most flights are operating normally and Egypt remains a major destination for both leisure and business travel. Prospective visitors should book with reputable airlines or tour operators, monitor operational updates closely, and consider flexible tickets or travel insurance that can provide added security if schedules change.