Chairman of Cairo Airport Company Ahmed Saeed said that the Russian authorities should send a report in the next 15 days regarding the security review carried out in the airport.
A delegation of Russian experts reviewed the airport’s security procedures in January and will send a report with their security recommendations.
Saeed told journalists that several countries reviewed the security of Cairo airport, including the United States and Russia. Saeed said that Egypt received initial security recommendations from Russia which he claims have already implemented in Egyptian airports. However, the final report has yet to be delivered Egyptian authorities.
According to Saeed, more than 140 security cameras were added inside and outside the airport at a cost of EGP 28m.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Minister of Aviation Hossam Kamal hopes that flights to and from Russia will be restored before the end of June.
”I hope they will resume in the first half of this year,” Kamal said, after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Russian officials on Tuesday. The MOU provided the framework for Egypt to buy Sukhoi commercial aircraft from Russia.
Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said earlier on Tuesday that his Egyptian counterpart was interested in purchasing more effective and advanced devices to improve all security measures in the airport.
“We have the equipment Egypt needs and we hope the Egyptian side will use our products along with equipment from other countries,” he said.
Last October a Russian A321 plane was downed in Sinai, killing all 224 passengers and crew on board. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident.
Egypt initially declared that there was no evidence that the plane was brought down due to a “terrorist act”. However, Moscow purported that terrorists were responsible for the deaths, after its investigation committee said explosive material was found in the remains.
Russia issued an immediate suspension of all commercial flights to and from Egypt, pending a report on the state of security procedures at Egyptian airports.
A report by Reuters published on Friday suggested that a mechanic who works at Sharm El-Sheikh Airport may have been involved in planting a bomb on the Russian A321 plane.
According to Reuters’ report, anonymous sources told the agency that the mechanic, whose cousin is allegedly a member of IS in Syria, was detained, in addition to two policemen and a luggage worker.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior denied that anyone was detained. Moreover, EgyptAir officials said there are no suspects among their employees.
The Russian Kremlin has declined to comment on the reports, according to the governmental news agency TASS.
“As far as I understand, there are no concrete sources there”, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday. “We are not investigative authorities. This question should be addressed to them.”
Egypt has successfully passed review processes carried out by the ICAO and several international air companies on the security standards in Egyptian airports.
