It comes after more questions were raised about airport security in the country, after passenger Seif Eldin Mustafa managed to carry through a fake explosive belt in his hand luggage, which he then strapped to himself.

The Egyptair flight, which had been en route from Alexandria to Cairo was forced to divert to Larnaca, after Mustafa then allegedly told the pilot he was wearing a suicide vest, and demanded he fly to Cyprus.

Once the plane had landed, Mustafa took several passengers and crew hostage. The incident ended relatively peacefully, and Mustafa is now in custody.

However concerns are mounting as to how far Egypt has really clamped down on airport security, following the downing of the Russian passenger plane over Sinai in October.

Last month the Egyptian government said it had signed an agreement with security company Control Risks in a bid to "enhance" its airport security.

Egypt’s minister of tourism Hisham Zaazou confirmed the new deal, insisting that the government was “committed to making sure that people from around the world have a safe, secure and enjoyable experience when visiting Egypt”.

In a statement released yesterday, Egypt’s state tourist office insisted: “We are assured by passengers on the flight that all security measures at Borg El Arab [in Alexandria] Airport were fully implemented.

“Egypt’s top priority is always to ensure the security and well-being of all travellers at all times.”