Russia’s transportation minister Maxim Sokolov said on Friday that security measures in Egyptian airports are constructive, but that at least one more inspection visit is required in accordance with the Russian agenda, according to news agency Sputnik.
The minister denied rumours that flights between Egypt and Russia would resume in October. “These are rumours, although I can say that our Egyptian colleagues have done a lot. This is a big step towards establishing international aviation security standards,” he stated.
Last week, Egyptian media reported that flights would resume in October, according to high-ranking officials at the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority.
Sokolov also said that Russia held constructive talks with the Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister, and aviation and transportation security teams at the airports.
He added that after inspecting three Egyptian airports in late September, the Russian delegation confirmed that security measures were constructive, saying that it “appreciated their readiness and compliance with international requirements”.
He further stated that a Russian team of experts will travel to Egypt for a final inspection, and to “assess the state of readiness of each of the three airports’’.
Russia, along with the United Kingdom, suspended flights to Egypt in the aftermath of an attack claimed by Islamic State, which brought down a Russian passenger flight on 31 October 2015. The plane was flying from Sharm El-Sheikh and crashed over the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.
