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Russian experts may begin inspection of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada airports this week

Earlier Russian experts inspected Cairo International Airport

MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. Russian aviation safety experts will head to Egypt’s cities of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada this week in order to inspect international airports, two sources familiar with the situation told TASS. Earlier Russian experts inspected Cairo International Airport.

When asked when Russia’s aviation authorities plan to begin the inspection of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada airports, the source said "this week."

Another source told TASS that Russia’s delegation was expected to arrive in Egypt at the end of the working week.

Russia’s Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said earlier that Egypt’s aviation authorities had informed Russia they were ready for the visit of Russian experts who would review security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada airports.

Sokolov said that air service was most likely to be resumed in January 2017. In late December, Russian experts conducted another inspection of Cairo International Airport, particularly Terminal 2, which is planned to serve Russian citizens once flights, suspended after a Russian passenger plane’s crash over Sinai in October 2015, have been resumed.

Now the Russian Transport Ministry will prepare a report summing up the inspection. Russian experts are expected to conduct the final inspection of Cairo airport and fix the timeline for resuming the air service between the two countries on January 18-20.

Russia and Egypt have been holding talks on resuming air service since late 2015.