Passengers were asked to pay bribe to skip security at Sharm el-Sheikh

Concerns have been raised over security conditions at the airport where Russian airliner KGL9268 set off before crashing in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

A British tourist told the Independent that he had been "offered the chance to pay £20 to skip queues and baggage checks" at Sharm el-Sheikh airport when he visited earlier in the year.

Dale Parkyn, a 47-year old from Yorkshire in the UK, said he and his wife had been approached by a man in military uniform and offered a chance to skip security.

 "What we did is we discussed it and he then produced a £20 note and said, 'Have you one of these' and you can avoid the queue.”

A British government spokesperson told the Independent that there was an "assessment of the security arrangements in place at the airport and to identify whether any further action is required."

On Friday it was announced that Egypt had arranged 29 planes to bring home stranded British holidaymakers, but that they will be prevented from taking hold luggage on the flight.

Large crowds gathered at the airport anxiously awaiting word of when they could fly home after Britain announced it would lift the suspension of flights out of Sharm that it imposed on Wednesday.

 "Sixty-four flights are planned out of Sharm el-Sheikh today, including 29 organised by British companies to take home British tourists whose holidays have ended," civil aviation ministry spokesman Hossam Kamal said in a statement.

 Heightened fears over security on flights leaving Egypt has led to emergency measures from other airlines.

Dutch airline KLM also on Friday banned checked luggage on an early flight from Cairo to Amsterdam.

 Passengers were only allowed to board flight KLM 554 with hand luggage, the airline said in a statement, adding that "based on national and international information and out of precaution KLM will not allow check-in luggage."

EasyJet announced that it was halting its repatriation flights out of Sharm el-Sheikh, due to a decision by the Egyptian authorities.

"The situation in Sharm el-Sheikh has changed and rescue plans that were put in place yesterday have been suspended by the Egyptian authorities. Discussions are currently on-going at the highest political level to resolve this situation," the company said in a statement on its website.

"We are very sorry and understand that this is extremely frustrating for you – unfortunately the situation is outside of easyJet’s control. Please stay or make your way back to the hotel you have been staying in, and be assured we will pick up the cost of this."

Caption: Tourists queue up at check-in counters at the airport of Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh 

Photo: MiddleEast Eye