Dutch tour operators TUI and Neckermann have cancelled all trips to the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheik for the next few days following the possible bombing of a Russian plane on Saturday.

The companies are sending empty planes to the resort on Sunday and Tuesday to bring home Dutch tourists whose holiday is over but those with outstanding bookings will get their money back, news agency ANP reports.

Some 200 Dutch tourists are thought to be in the Egyptian holiday destination. The Russian plane which crashed had taken off from Sharm-el-Sheik’s airport.

The holidaymakers may only bring back hand luggage and larger suitcases will be shipped on at a later date. The same applied to Transavia flights from Hurghada and Marsa Alam which left Egypt on Thursday night.

KLM has also banned hold luggage on flights from Cairo to Schiphol airport, ANP says. The airline said it had taken the decision following ‘careful consideration of national and international information’.

The foreign affairs ministry says airlines and travel organisations must decide themselves whether or not to continue flying to Sharm-el-Sheikh.

British airlines Monarch and easyJet have begun bringing back 20,000 British tourists stuck in Sharm-el-Sheikh – a process which could take up to 10 days.

The BBC says British investigators looking at what caused the Russian airliner to crash believe a bomb was put in the hold prior to take-off.