It’s common practice for many Lebanese to travel during the Easter holidays, and Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh is a well-known destination for those looking to spend some time by the Red Sea. But, what if you were unable to return home? This was, unfortunately, the case for several Lebanese citizens this week.
After AlMasria Universal Airlines canceled all of its flights to Lebanon at the beginning of last week, many Lebanese vacationers got stuck in Egypt. Fortunately, they began arriving back in Beirut from Sharm El Sheikh on Sunday, April 29th, and through Monday.
On the previous Friday, Mohammad Chehabeddine, the head of Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, was contacted by the Egyptian airline notifying him of the cancellation of all its returning flights to Lebanon. But why?
AlMasria Universal Airlines claimed that it had not yet received the complete payment of its fees from Mohammad Barakat, the head of the travel agency that had planned that trip to Sharm El Sheikh.
Accordingly, Chehabeddine immediately got in contact with both AlMasria Universal Airlines and Barakat to settle the issue and ensure the safe return back to Lebanon of the travelers who had gone through the agency.
Via AlMasria Universal Airlines
Several of these travelers arrived back to the homeland yesterday, and more are expected to return today, Monday. Chehabeddine stated that they will not be charged any additional fees for this return flight.
Thankfully, this issue of travel was resolved, and no one’s return home was jeopardized in the end.
Sharm El Sheikh is still likely to attract more Lebanese during the upcoming summer season, and probably more will vacation there during this time next year. Be careful with the travel agencies you choose for your vacation so that you will not end up in a simmilar unfavorable situation like those who had a delayed return this week.