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Russian airlines received more than 200 permits for flights to Egypt — watchdog

These are mainly permits to operate flights from Russian regions to Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Russian airlines have received more than 200 permits for regular flights to Egypt, according to the order of the Federal Air Transport Agency.

"The decision to issue these permits is not a basis or a ground to resume flights on international routes specified in the order of the Federal Air Transport Agency. Permit implies the right an airline can use when resuming flights," the Federal Air Transport Agency recalled.

According to the order, these are mainly permits to operate flights from Russian regions to Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. The regulator approved permits to the following airlines: Azur Air, Red Wings, Nordstar, Royal Flight, iFly, North Wind, Yamal. Airlines iFly, Red Wings, Azur air also received permits for regular flights from Zhukovsky to Cairo.

Earlier, Aeroflot, Pobeda, S7, Smartavia, Nordstar, Ural Airlines, Azur Air, Nordwind and Royal Flight received permits for flights to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh from the regions.

About flight connection with Egypt

On Monday, the federal operational headquarters for the fight against coronavirus reported that Russia will triple the number of regular flights to Egypt on the Moscow-Hurghada and Moscow-Sharm el-Sheikh routes - from 5 to 15 flights per week on each route from August 27.

Air traffic with the Egyptian resorts on the Moscow-Hurghada and Moscow-Sharm el-Sheikh routes was resumed on August 9.

Air traffic between Russia and Egypt was completely interrupted in November 2015 after a plane of Russia’s Kogalymavia airline crashed in Sinai on its way from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. There were 217 passengers and seven crew members on board. All of them were killed in the crash. The Federal Security Service (FSB) qualified the incident as a terrorist attack.

In January 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the resumption of regular air traffic to Cairo, but charter flights to Egyptian resorts were not resumed. Over the past years, the Egyptian side has improved its system of control and inspection of passengers and their luggage, as well as significantly upgraded the infrastructure of the airports.

On July 8, Putin canceled the 2015 decree banning Russian airlines from flying to Egyptian resorts.

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