Russia’s biggest airline Aeroflot said yesterday it would restart flights to Cairo on April 11, resuming civilian air traffic more than two-and-half years after the bombing of a tourist jet.
Russia and Egypt held talks to resume flights for months after air traffic was stopped in October 2015 when a bomb on a Russian flight from Egypt’s popular tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh killed all 224 people on board.
The flight suspension hit Egypt’s tourism industry, a key source of hard currency. It also reduced holiday options for Russian tourists who were drawn to Egypt’s all-inclusive accommodation, Russian-speaking staff and relatively affordable prices.
The Russian flag carrier will restart flights to Egypt after a “substantial increase in security measures”. Aeroflot said it would have three flights a week from Moscow to Cairo, on Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays.
Return flights, from Cairo to Moscow, will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
From June 12 to July 2 Aeroflot will carry out flights everyday to meet increased demand for travelling to Russia, which will host the FIFA World Cup, the company said.
It was unclear if Moscow and Cairo would agree to resume flights to Egypt’s tourist destination on the Red Sea.
