CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) Russia looks forward to relaunch charter flights to the resort cities of Egypt in the near future, but ensuring adequate security measures at airports remains a key issue, Russian Ambassador to Cairo Georgy Borisenko said in an open letter to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk.
Earlier, an article was published in the electronic version of the Al-Shorouk by its editor-in-chief, which was entitled "New Slippage [of relations] With Russian Partner." The author criticized Russia "because of the delay in the resumption of charter flights between Russian cities and the Egyptian resorts of the Red Sea."
The Russian ambassador noted that the decision to suspend flights from Russia to Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh was caused by the terrorist act committed on October 31, 2015, against the plane of Russian airline Kogalymavia. He also recalled that the tragedy in the skies over Sinai was the most massive death of Russian citizens in the history of aviation and the largest plane crash in Egypt.
"Naturally, after this tragic incident, Russia could not continue to operate flights to Egypt without receiving guarantees of compliance with strict security measures at local airports," the Russian ambassador said.
According to the diplomat, thanks to the joint work of relevant Russian and Egyptian agencies, by March 2018, Egypt managed to significantly improve the security and inspection system at the Cairo airport, which made it possible to resume air traffic between the capitals of the two countries.
