Egypt hopes to resume flight to Russia soon — ambassador

"Russian-Egyptian relations are developing rather fast in all spheres except tourism," Al-Badri told a roundtable on Russian-Egyptian cooperation in different spheres. "You know the reason. We are working on this issue and trying to find a solution that will suit both sides. I hope that air travel (to Russia) will resume soon," he added. The A321 plane belonging to Russia’s air company Kogalymavia was en route from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to St. Petersburg in Russia (flight KGL 9268) when it crashed over the Sinai Peninsula early on October 31 last year. The plane fell near El Hasna populated locality 100km to the south of Al-Arish, the administrative center of the North Sinai Governorate (province). All the 224 people onboard, including 217 passengers and the 7-member crew, died. The passengers, most of whom were Russians, also included four Ukrainians and one citizen of Belarus. Following the crash, Russia suspended air service with Egypt. In mid-November FSB head Alexander Bortnikov reported to the Russian president that the crash was a terrorist attack carried out with the use of an explosive device.