PRESS: Russia, Egypt not to resume charter flights by 2018

MOSCOW, Aug 24 (PRIME) -- Charter flights between Russia and Egypt will not be resumed until the end of 2017, Izvestia newspaper reported Thursday citing sources in the diplomatic circles and the aviation industry.

“Charter flights to Egypt will not be resumed in 2017. Airports in Hurghada and Sham El-Sheikh must be inspected one after another by September 30. Everything is currently in the negotiations process,” one of the sources in Russian diplomatic circles said.

The airport of Cairo is already ready to accept Russian citizens in safety terms, but everything depends on the political situation in the country, he added.

A source in the aviation industry said that flights will be open only to Cairo at the first stage.

“At the first stage, flights will be open only to Cairo. And these will be only regular flights. There are no talks about opening charter flights to Egypt’s resort zones yet,” he said.

Moscow suspended flights to Egypt in November 2015 after a major crash of a Russian plane over the Sinai Peninsula. Russia believes that the plane was likely brought down by a bomb.

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