Egypt receives 1st Russian flight after 2 year hiatus

CAIRO – 11 April 2018: The first flight of Russian Aeroflot airlines arrived to Cairo International Airport on Wednesday after more than a two-year hiatus after a bomb downed a Russian charter over the Sinai Peninsula in 2015.

An Airbus 320 with 160 Russian passengers on board arrived at Terminal 2 of the Cairo International Airport; the Egyptian Aviation Services Company facilitated all the procedures for the Russian passengers.

An official delegation from the Cairo Airport Company as well as a delegation from the Tourism Promotion Authority received the Russian tourists.

In the same context, EgyptAir continues its preparations for the first flights to Moscow due on Thursday; in addition, the Russian Aeroflot airlines will operate three flights every week between Cairo and Moscow.

A source inside EgyptAir said they had offered discounts that can reach up to 25 percent on flight tickets from Cairo International Airport to Moscow to attract travellers and encourage tourism.

Flights were suspended at the end of 2015 after a bomb downed a flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, killing all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Since the crash, Egypt has been implementing new, tighter security measures at all of its airports to meet the Russian demands necessary for the resumption of flights, with multiple visits from Russian security delegations to observe changes implemented by the government