December 25, 2017, 08:34 / Business / News

Sokolov called the resumption of flights with Egyptian resorts in winter unlikely

The resumption of air traffic with the Egyptian resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh is unlikely this winter. TASS about this . told Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov

“The likelihood that it will be possible to restore air traffic with Egyptian resorts in the winter season is low,” Sokolov said. According to him, the task is for a longer term. He noted that the timing “does not depend on us.”

Russia stopped air traffic with Egypt in November 2015 due to a terrorist attack on board a Russian A321 aircraft. Then the explosive device that the terrorists planted at the Egyptian airport went off. The plane crash killed 224 people.

President Vladimir Putin, after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on December 11, announced Russia’s readiness to resume air traffic with Egypt. For now we are talking about restoring communications only with Cairo. According to Putin, the parties will strive to sign an intergovernmental protocol “in the very near future.” At the moment, the official tourist flow from Russia to Egypt is zero, and the unofficial one is about 7,000–10,000 people monthly, a source in the tourism industry told Vedomosti.

How Russia stopped air traffic with Egypt How Russia stopped air traffic with Egypt

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From 20.00 on Friday, November 6, Russia suspended air traffic with Egypt until the proper level of safety of air traffic is established, the Kremlin website says. In the photo, passengers on November 7 in the waiting room at Domodedovo airport in Moscow at the counter of a travel company

/ Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP