Russia gives preliminary approval to Egypt's El Alamein, Alexandria airports for seasonal flights

CAIRO – 22 July 2026: Russia has granted preliminary approval to Egypt's El Alamein and Alexandria international airports, paving the way for seasonal flights expected to boost Russian tourist arrivals and strengthen tourism cooperation between the two countries.

The announcement came during talks between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meeting in Manila on Wednesday.

The two foreign ministers discussed advancing bilateral cooperation, including progress on the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, the Russian Industrial Zone, and plans to boost trade and tourism.

Abdelatty welcomed recent progress on the Russian-built El Dabaa plant, including the installation of the reactor pressure vessel for the project's second unit earlier this month.

He also praised the appointment of the industrial developer for the Russian Industrial Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, expressing hope that the zone would begin operations soon to boost Russian investment in Egypt.

The ministers also discussed plans to establish a logistics hub in Egypt for grain and petroleum products to facilitate bilateral trade and the movement of priority commodities.