Lufthansa has resumed flights to Cairo after the German carrier joined British Airways in announcing a suspension.

Flights were cancelled on Saturday night, with the airlines issuing separate statements which cited security concerns.

The British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams, met with the Egyptian Minister for Civil Aviation, Younis El Masry, on Sunday morning to discuss aviation security following the decision.

BA said flights would be suspended for seven days while “further assessment” of security arrangements at Cairo airport took place.

Lufthansa said its own flights were suspended shortly after, citing “an unclear security situation”, but resumed service to the Egyptian capital on Sunday.

BA planes on runway
BA is still not scheduling flights to Cairo (Steve Parsons/PA)

Passengers were informed on Twitter that services were resumed.

It remains unclear what prompted BA’s decision to halt flights.

BA said: “We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world and have suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precaution to allow for further assessment.

“The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our priority, and we would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so.”

Customers who still wished to travel were offered a refund or the opportunity to be rebooked onto flights with alternative airlines.

It is understood British Airways made the Department for Transport aware of its decision ahead of the announcement.

BA operates one flight per day from Heathrow to Cairo.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its online Egypt travel advice page to mention BA’s suspension of flights but has not changed its guidance or added any specific warnings.

Current advice on travel to Egypt warns against “all travel” to certain parts of the country.

Foreign Office Egypt advice
The Foreign Office advises against travel to many parts of Egypt but Cairo is within a safer region of the country (Foreign Office)

But Cairo is part of a safer region, where the FCO only suggests reviewing its advice before visiting.

Current guidance also warns against “all but essential” travel by air to Sharm el Sheikh.

That advice followed the bombing of a Russian airline which was brought down in 2015 shortly after leaving the Red Sea resort, killing 224 people.