Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister, Hossam Kamal, says only eight of the 29 planned flights from Sharm el-Sheikh to the UK today will go ahead.

Mr Kamal has implied there is only limited space to keep hold luggage at the airport, which is not being allowed on board.

Earlier, the UK's Transport Minister, Patrick McLoughlin, said UK officials would consider other airports if they were dissatisfied with security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh.

Tightened security measures follow a Russian plane crash last week, which experts say may have been caused by a bomb on board the aircraft.

Holiday makers stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh following the crash- were given the go ahead to leave today- with an estimated 19,000 British tourists thought to be in the region.

However many tourists arrived at the airport to find their flights would not be departing. Carrier Easy Jet has said eight out of its ten flights have been cancelled. One flight has departed, carrying 330 passengers, while another has been delayed. 

These tourists vented their frustrations to Britain's Ambassador to Egypt earlier:

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said around 170 Irish people are in Egypt - the department's website advises citizens against "non-essential" travel to Egypt. Meanwhile the Irish Aviation Authority has banned Irish operators travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh or in the peninsula’s airspace until further notice.

Egypt's Ambassador to Ireland, Soha Gendi, has voiced disappointment over this move, saying a decision of this importance should not be built on assumptions, but should wait until investigations are concluded especially as the Irish team of experts participating in investigations are still there, alongside experts from Egypt, Russia, Germany and France.

The crash has also had a knock on effect for businesses; Tim Bigham Co-ordinator of Sharm Solutions says many people that had plans to travel to the region in the coming weeks have contacted the tour operator, unsure of whether or not to cancel their trip. He says security measures in the region need to be increased: