Russian experts to arrive in Egypt next week to negotiate aviation safety issues

The next visit of the Russian experts to Sharm el-Sheikh airport on air safety issues will take place in the coming week, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov told representatives of the United Russia faction in the State Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament). "In April, even in the coming week, we will send specialists to Sharm el-Sheikh airport which will hold another round of talks and dialogue with our Egyptian partners to address the issue of our justified safety demands at the airports where our tourists fly," he said. On November 6, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the proposal of Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov to suspend air traffic with Egypt. The ban followed the crash of an A321 plane belonging to Russia’s air company Kogalymavia over the Sinai Peninsula early on October 31. The plane en route from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg was brought down by terrorists. All the 224 people onboard, including 217 passengers and the 7 crew members, died in the crash. The Russian side demanded that Egypt tighten security measures at the country’s airports. Russia’s commission is to verify the compliance with the conditions later this month.