Britons struggle to return home from Cairo

Egypt’s main international airport is home to thousands of stranded travellers.

Travel Insurance News - 31/01/2011

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Desperate British holidaymakers are struggling to find flights home from Egypt amidst the political upheaval in the country. At Cairo’s international airport, travellers found flights grounded as airport and airline staff left their posts to join the protests sweeping the nation.

Passengers who braved the chaos to venture from their hotels for trips to the airport came across scenes of total chaos. The terminal buildings are surrounded by hours-long queues.

A nightly curfew means many passengers are then unable to leave the airport. They have been forced to sleep in the airport’s departure lounges.

Passengers stranded at the airport say conditions worsened after food and water ran out. Relatives of Britons stranded at the airport speak of a nightmare in which travellers are panicked and crying.

Toilets in the airport are in terrible condition. Violence has flared outside and many fear looters who have been reported in Cairo might target the airport.

Despite the worsening crisis in Egypt, some travellers accused airlines of profiteering. The prices of some flights back to the UK have apparently risen dramatically over the weekend.

Airlines say they are trying to organize flights back to the UK and that passengers should monitor their websites. However, with access to mobile phone networks and the internet restricted in Egypt, travellers are struggling to keep tabs on either the situation or airline websites.

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