Growing chaos at Cairo Airport, tourists scramble to flee Egypt

With the government blocking Internet and cell phone connections in Egypt for the fifth consecutive day, the scene is one of complete chaos at the Cairo International Airport as tourists flock to flee the growing disturbance in the country.

Due to cancellations of a number of airline services including Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Kuwait Airways and Egypt Air; it was impossible for tourists to check for flight availability and move out of Egypt. However, a number of countries like the US, India, China, Canada and Russia have stepped up efforts to evacuate their natives and tourists by sending rescue planes.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China stated that they are sending two flights on Tuesday to rescue their citizens after two other flights rescued around 480 citizens on Monday. They also said that two more planes would be sent on Wednesday to rescue natives stranded at Luxor.

On Tuesday, a second batch of Indians was brought back aboard an Air India flight. The first rescue flight was a 747 Boeing aircraft which landed on Monday carrying a total of 329 Indians.

The US, on the other hand, sent six planes by the end of Monday to carry Americans from Cairo to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, the Washington Post quoted State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley informing reporters on Monday.

The increasing lawlessness in Egypt has created an environment of suffocating mayhem and thousands of travelers jammed the ticket counters of the different airline services in a desperate bid to move out of the country.