CAIRO: A Russian security delegation inspected Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada airports on Thursday in preparation for the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt, sources close to Egyptian Civil Aviation said.
The sources confirmed that the delegation’s visit would continue until Feb. 4.
The delegation will follow up on security and safety procedures carried out in travel and arrival halls to protect travelers from the risk of coronavirus infection.
The sources confirmed that Egyptian airports were ready for Russian inspections, as insurance standards inside airports were applied according to international aviation organizations. The security system inside airports had been completely modernized, and airports had passed European and American inspections recently, with many companies making plans to fly to Egyptian airports, they said.
On Wednesday, Cairo International Airport received a Russian delegation that included security and aviation experts to inspect security measures.
Delegation members are to be divided into three groups to inspect the three airports. At the end of the tour, the delegation will meet officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation before submitting their final report on the visit to the civil aviation authorities in Russia.
Mohamed Manar, the Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation, has met representatives of Russian companies involved in air navigation to follow up on the implementation of the contract signed between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Russia to develop the Egyptian airspace.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the stages of implementing the agreement, and cooperation mechanisms to create a flexible, safer and more effective airspace for international and regional movement.
Direct Russian flights to the tourist destinations of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh have been suspended since an Airbus 321 aircraft crashed in the Sinai desert on Oct. 31, 2015, with 224 people on board.
Although direct flights between Moscow and Cairo were resumed on April 11, 2018, Red Sea resorts have remained closed to Russian charter flights.
