UPDATE: Putin, Egypt’s president agree to resume full-scale air travel

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SOCHI, Oct 17 (PRIME) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have agreed to fully resume regular direct air communication between the states, Putin said on Wednesday following a meeting with al-Sisi.

“We have considered the issue of the full-scale resumption of tourist exchange and air travel,” he said and added that the issue of charter flights between Russia and Egypt has also been discussed.

“Our Egyptian colleagues make every effort to increase the security. We will strive to resume regular charter flights in these directions in the nearest future.”

Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh said earlier that Russian experts would visit Egypt to check the security of airports in the cities of Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh.

Moscow suspended flights to Egypt in November 2015 after a major crash of a Russian plane over the Sinai Peninsula. Russia believed that the plane had been likely brought down by a bomb. In April 2018, the states resumed direct air connection between the capitals, Moscow and Cairo.

CEO of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia Maya Lomidze said that Russian travel companies will need two to four weeks to resume charter flights to Egypt’s resorts.

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