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Russian experts arrive in Egypt to inspect Cairo airport

The team of Russian experts is scheduled to stay for three days

© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

CAIRO, February 2. /TASS/. A group of Russian aviation safety experts has arrived in Egypt to insect Cairo International Airport, a source at the airport told TASS.

"A delegation of ten high-ranking Russian experts has arrived in Cairo from Moscow," the source said. "They are scheduled to stay for three days but perhaps they will fulfill their mission in just one day, this matter is under consideration now, the final decision will be made on Friday."

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During their visit, the experts will examine Terminal 2 of Cairo International Airport and assess the efficiency of the personnel biometric access system as well as video surveillance system. As reported earlier, ahead of the Russian experts’ visit, all the services at Terminal 2 have been put on high alert. The airport administration earlier said all the equipment would be set up by the end of January, personnel fingerprints database has been compiled in the past few days.

According to the Sada al-Balad website, biometric control system was put into operation a few hours ago. The website adds that before returning to Moscow, the Russian experts will hold a meeting with officials from Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry.

The Cairo airport check is expected to be the final one before a report on the security situation in Egypt’s airports is drawn up and a decision is made on resuming flights suspended after a Russian passenger plane’s crash over Sinai in October 2015.

In January, a group of Russian experts inspected airports in Egypt’s resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. At first, flights to Cairo are planned to be resumed, the resort cities will follow. Before that Russia and Egypt are expected to sign an aviation safety agreement.

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