TUI reintroduces flights to forgotten holiday destination that was huge with Brits in the Noughties – with 35C temp
TUI is heading to sunny Sharm El Sheikh for the summer of 2026.
Brits will be able to hop on flights to the Egyptian city offers beautiful beach resorts, high temperatures and year-round sunshine.
TUI has announced it’s reintroducing direct flights from East Midlands Airport to Sharm El Sheikh next year.
The first flight is scheduled for Thursday, 26 March 2026 and the service will operate twice-weekly on Mondays and Thursdays – flight time will be five and a half hours.
TUI UK&I Commercial Director Chris Logan said: “Due to strong customer demand, we are thrilled to once again connect the East Midlands with the stunning Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
“With hundreds of amazing hotels to choose from and guaranteed sunshine, Sharm El Sheikh is the perfect destination for a summer holiday.
“We have plenty of amazing all-inclusive deals with flexible flying options, and some of the best splash parks to entertain the kids”.
During the summer months, temperatures in Sharm el Sheikh sit between 35 and 38C.
Sharm el Sheikh is also a popular winter sun destination because its average temperature is 24C which is around 17C warmer than the UK for that time of year.
It’s not just flights, TUI also offers all-inclusive holiday packages to the resort.
TUI offers a four-night holiday to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt staying at the 4T+ Rixos Sharm El Sheikh.
An all-inclusive basis starts from £1237 per person.
TUI offers a seven-night holiday to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt staying at the 5T TUI BLUE Sensatori Coral Sea.
An all-inclusive basis here start from £1349 per person – which works out at £192.70 pp per night.
Both are based on two adults sharing a room with flights leaving in summer 2026.
Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt was once one of the most popular holiday destinations for Brits, particularly through the 1990s.
It remained popular until 2015, when a terror attack on a Russian passenger plane killed all 224 onboard.
Flights from the UK were stopped for four years, with TUI reintroducing holiday packages in 2019.
This was following the UK Foreign Office issuing new guidance which said Sharm el-Sheikh was considered safe after the airport security was overhauled and updated.
However, just a few months later Covid hit, meaning the holiday resort once again saw tourist levels drop.
TUI reintroduced the route again in summer 2022, and summer 2023 due to the rise in popular demand.
In recent years, Egypt has been named the ‘best value for money’ destination, according to the Post Office Travel Money analysis.
On average, meals and drinks are significantly cheaper than in the UK.
One Travel Writer stayed at the Egypt resort with the country’s largest water park.