UPDATE - Egypt Hopes For Prompt Resumption Of Air Traffic With Russia - Ambassador

UPDATE - Egypt Hopes for Prompt Resumption of Air Traffic With Russia - Ambassador

Egypt hopes that the flight services with Russia, suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, will soon resume, as the aviation authorities of the two countries are engaged in relevant negotiations, Egyptian Ambassador in Moscow Ihab Nasr told Sputnik in an interview

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) Egypt hopes that the flight services with Russia, suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, will soon resume, as the aviation authorities of the two countries are engaged in relevant negotiations, Egyptian Ambassador in Moscow Ihab Nasr told Sputnik in an interview.

Both Russia and Egypt now see a decrease in the new COVID-19 cases, the ambassador noted.

"Egypt has already resumed flight services with many countries. We do hope that the Moscow-Cairo flight services will resume really soon," Nasr said.

Egypt is always happy to receive Russian citizens, the ambassador assured.

"Egyptian airports implement serious coronavirus-related measures to ensure tourists' safety. These include both express tests and a whole range of different sanitary measures," Nasr added.

Nasr expressed hope that the ongoing consultations between Russian and Egyptian aviation authorities would "bring positive result in the near future." The ambassador confirmed that the Egyptian air space is open.

On March 27, Russia suspended international regular and charter flights in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic, with only few exceptions, such as repatriation and humanitarian flights. On August 1, Russia resumed air traffic with the United Kingdom, Turkey and Tanzania.

Apart from that, Nasr expressed the belief that nothing hindered air traffic resumption between Russian cities and the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh.

"There is no problem from our side. We will be happy to receive Russian tourists arriving directly in these cities. I confirm our everlasting commitment to safety of all our guests," Nasr said, when asked when the flights could resume.

According to the ambassador, all the countries that have resumed air travel to Egypt are already conducting direct flights to the resorts.

"I can tell you that nearly all the European countries have already launched flights there, as well as Arab countries, some Asian countries and the United States," Nasr said, praising the safety measures implemented in Egyptian airports.

"We hope very much that the Russian market will return and fill a niche in our touristic sector. We want Russian tourists to come back and enjoy the warmth and hospitality that they have always seen i our country," Nasr stressed.

Russia suspended flights to Egypt's popular Red Sea tourist destinations back in November 2015 in the wake of the deadly crash of a Russian plane over the Sinai Peninsula.