April 23 Russia will resume all flights to Egypt, including direct flights to the Red Sea coastal cities of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, the Egyptian presidential palace said in a statement Wednesday.
The statement said egyptian President Sisi spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day, and said the Russian move will promote exchanges between individuals and tourism groups between the two countries, so that bilateral relations have been well developed. The statement said Russia’s decision is based on Egypt has stepped up security measures at its tourist city airport.
Russia and Egypt have reached a comprehensive re-opening agreement in principle, which will promote friendly exchanges between the two countries and their peoples, in view of the completion of joint work to ensure high standards of aviation security at Egyptian airports, the Kremlin website said in a statement. The relevant authorities of the two countries will be responsible for the specifics of the resumption of flights.
On October 31, 2015, a Russian Kogarem Airlines passenger plane flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, Russia, exploded shortly after take-off and crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.
The extremist group Islamic State later announced the attack. After the crash, Russia suspended flights to and from Egypt until April 2018, when direct flights between the two capitals, Moscow and Cairo, resumed. In February, Egyptian state media reported that Russia would resume direct flights to Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada on March 28, but those routes have not yet resumed.
