Checked the internet - snow at London Gatwick, and varying estimates of when our plane would leave. IIt did not seem sensible to set off for Aswan airport until the plane had at least left England.
As I could not get anything satisfactory on the internet I ended up phoning Thomsons. Theu answered promptly (a pleasant surprise) and told me to check in as normal. So we set off with Tayyeb at noon. On the way we were caught in a speed trap near Edfu. A uniformed gent was also caught. See later.
We stopped for a meal in Aswan - Tayyeb took us to a restaurant just off the Souk, and very close to our hotel of the previous week.One ordered the main course, and soup, salads, vegetables, rice and chips came automatically. Service was efficient so we were not very late at the airport.
The flight check-in desk was on the information boards, so assuming that all was well we paid Tayyeb off and went to the desk.
Then we learned that check-in was delayed by at least 6 hours. Fortunately the uniformed gent, see above, was at the desk: he was one of Thomson's local agents. Apparently all the other passengers had been notified, and were being looked after at the Iberia hotel - a 5* gin palace to the north of the city. The gent even gave us a lift there in the staff minibus.
At the Iberia we located some other passengers in the (smoky) lounge bar, and had an extremely expensive drink. We managed to get a ride on the official transfer coach.