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Mohamed Soliman – Ahram Online
Russia will resume its first direct flight to the Egyptian seaside resort towns of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada on 28 February. Flights to Egypt were suspended in 2015, following a Russian flight crash in Sinai in October 2015.
The announcement was made by the head of Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority, Ashraf Noweir, who said, “Russian Nordwind airlines will operate two trips a week to Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada”.
According to Noweir, “the Russian decision comes on the heels of the latest week-long tour by a Russian delegation, which inspected safety and protective measures at Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada airports”.
“Russian transport ministry’s security inspectors commended the Egyptian airport on their security measures”, Noweir added.
Russian flight suspension to Red Sea resorts has taken a heavy toll on Egypt’s tourism industry. Russian visitors made major contribution to the tourism market in the country up to 2015.
In 2014, three million Russians visited Egypt, and 2.4 million in 2015 before Moscow suspended all commercial passenger flights to the country over the 2015 crash.
Russia resumed flights to Cairo International Airport in April 2018, ending a 30-month suspension, but flights to Red Sea destinations.
