Thomas Cook extends ban on Sharm el-Sheikh flights

The company had previously imposed a ban on flights to Sharm until 25 May but has pushed this back following Foreign Office advice.

Thomas Cook said it was extending the ban as there was "no clear indication" of when the Foreign Office might change advice.

It said customers due to travel to Sharm up to and including 31 October would be able to cancel or amend to another destination free of charge.

“We appreciate that this may be frustrating for our customers who have been looking forward to their holiday and we would like to assure them that we are doing our upmost to ensure they are still able to enjoy a Thomas Cook holiday,” the company said.

The Foreign Office imposed a ban on UK airlines flying in and out of Sharm el-Sheikh in January due to security concerns.

The decision came after a flight from Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg crashed in North Sinai, with all 224 people on board losing their lives. The Russian government said a bomb had been planted on the Airbus while it was on the ground at the Egyptian airport.

Thomas Cook said in February that revenue and bookings in the last three months of 2015 took a hit from the terror attacks in Paris, Istanbul and Sharm el-Sheikh.

At 1447 GMT, Thomas Cook shares were down 0.2% to 104.50p.