Egypt Still Has Pending Flight Security Issues - Rostourism Adviser

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism) notes that the Egyptian side has not yet resolved all issues related to flight security and acknowledges that the recent attack on tourists on the beach in Hurghada also causes some concern, Svetlana Sergeeva, an adviser to the head of Rostourism, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"The results of the inspections conducted by the commission under the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation showed that the Egyptian side has not yet resolved all issues related to aviation security. Therefore, air travel with Egypt has not been restored yet. The recent attack on tourists on the beach in Hurghada also causes certain concern," Sergeeva said referring to a stabbing attack, which took place in the Egyptian resort earlier in July and left two women from Germany killed as well as four tourists from Armenia, the Czech Republic and Russia injured.

Sergeeva added, though, that Rostourism, in its assessment of the level of security for tourists in Egypt, is guided by the recommendations of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which does not officially consider Egypt as a country that poses risks for visiting Russian tourists.

On October 31, 2015, a Russia-operated Airbus A321, en route from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg crashed as a result of an explosion on board, killing 224 people. The Islamic State terrorist group, outlawed in Russia, claimed responsibility for the attack. After the incident Russia suspended flights to Egypt. Since then, Egypt has faced a number of other civil aviation incidents.

In February, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov expressed his hope that Egypt would improve the security situation in its airports, which will allow Russian tourists to visit the country.