SINGAPORE, February 7, /TASS/. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft resumed talks on deliveries of Russian SSJ-100 and MC-21 aircraft to Egypt, the company's President Alexander Rubtsov told TASS.
"We are continuing the negotiation process. Right now, I cannot say when we will see the results. In any case, we will definitely promote our planes there. Egypt is more interested in aircraft like MC-21," he said.
The contract for the supply of SSJ-100 aircraft to Egypt has been in discussion since May 2015 - then it involved delivering 12 aircraft with an option for another 12. At the time, the trade-in option was considered - Russia would receive Embraer aircraft from Egypt, giving SSJ-100. It was assumed that the first deliveries could begin at the end of 2016. In February 2016, it became known that the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia was negotiating supplies of up to 40 SSJ-100 aircraft with the Egyptian airline EgyptAir.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin on January 4, 2018, signed a decree on resuming regular flight connection with Cairo.
Russia ceased air communication with Egypt in the fall of 2015 after the crash of the Russian airplane of Kogalymavia airline, flying from Sharm El Sheikh to St. Petersburg. All 217 passengers and 7 crew members on board have died. The Russian Federal Security Service subsequently qualified the incident as a terrorist act. To resume air communication, Russia demanded Egypt to strengthen aviation security measures.