All news

Source says flights between Moscow, Cairo may resume in April

On March 7, Sheremetyevo Security, Aeroflot and EgyptAir signed an agreement on provision of security services in the Cairo Airport

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. Air traffic between Moscow and Cairo can be resumed in the first or the second decade of April, a source close to talks told TASS on Monday. According to the source, Sheremetyevo Security, Aeroflot and EgyptAir companies signed a services agreement earlier.

"On March 7, Sheremetyevo Security, Aeroflot and EgyptAir signed an agreement on provision of security services in the Cairo Airport. Some technical matters are still to be settled. Resumption of flights is tentatively scheduled for the first - second decade of April," the source said.

The work on resumption of flights between Russia and Egypt is at an active phase, the Russian Ministry of Transport told TASS earlier. As soon as all formalities are settled, the air traffic will restart, the ministry said.

Russia suspended regular air service with Egypt after a Russian A321 passenger jet owned by Russia’s Kogalymavia air carrier (flight 9268) bound to St. Petersburg crashed on October 31, 2015 some 30 minutes after the takeoff from Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh. The plane was carrying 217 passengers and seven crewmembers. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) qualified the tragedy as a terrorist attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree on resumption of scheduled flights to Cairo on January 4, 2018. Settlement of technical matters, including slots booking and schedule preparation, continued in two subsequent months. Sales of air tickets has not yet started by now.