Curfew, canceled flights leave tourists stranded

CAIRO, Egypt – Thousands of passengers were stranded at Cairo’s airport on Saturday as flights were canceled or delayed, leaving them unable to leave because of a government-imposed curfew.

As Egypt’s unrest neared its sixth day, the cancellations of flights and the arrival of several largely empty aircraft appeared to herald an ominous erosion of key tourism revenue for the country.

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan organized an additional 10 flights to evacuate their citizens, officials at Cairo International Airport said. Among those who left were families of diplomats.

Egypt’s national carrier, meanwhile, was forced to cancel 15 scheduled flights because it was unable to secure the necessary crew and service personnel, the officials said.