Quashing the two year suspension, Russia-Egypt to resume air services from tomorrow

Moscow, April 11: Russia and Egypt are slated to resume direct flights on April 11 after a more than two-year suspension prompted by the bombing of a Russian charter plane over the Sinai Peninsula in 2015.

An Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Cairo carrying about 120 passengers, in the first of the restored flights today evening. On April 12, EgyptAir will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together offer five round-trip flights between Moscow and Cairo a week.

Moscow's move to ban flights for security reasons after the bombing, which killed all 224 people on board, dealt a blow to the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular holiday destination for Russians.

Cautioning about the restoration of flights between Moscow and Cairo the Russian officials said that this will not help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, centered in resort towns on the Red Sea coast, where Russian tourists once flocked.

Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman said, "Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo. The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way."

As a result of the bombing and political turmoil in Egypt, the number of foreign tourists collapsed from as many as 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2016, official figures show.

The revenue from tourism at the same time dropped by two-thirds, from $11.6 billion in 2010 to $3.8 billion in 2016, according to the Egyptian Central Bank. But tourism in Egypt made a modest comeback last year, with the number of foreign visitors rising to 8.3 million, government figures show.

Once flights resume between Moscow and Cairo, the two countries will decide on a date to discuss the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia, Ihab Nasr, has said.

Eight Russian experts will be sent to Cairo's airport to ensure security measures are being enforced on flights headed to Moscow.