Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has officially agreed to reinstate air traffic between Moscow and Cairo, two years after flights were suspended following a Russian passenger plane crash over the Sinai peninsula, state-run Russian news agency TASS reports. The decision will see “regular air services to the city of Cairo” be resumed within the coming period, a presidential decree signed by Putin read. Although no information was disclosed as to the exact date when flights are to be reinstated, Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said in December that February 2018 would see their resumption, on condition that Putin first issues a decision of approval. The presidential decree comes just over two weeks after Egyptian and Russian officials signed a joint cooperation protocol concerning civil aviation security which aimed to resume flights between the countries as soon as possible. Russia discontinued air services to Egypt after a Russian airliner was downed in October 2015 over the Sinai shortly after it took off, killing all 224 people on board. Terror group the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. Although Egyptian officials ruled out that terrorism was what caused the crash, director of Russia’s Federal Security Service Alexander…
After Two-Year Hiatus, Putin Officially Agrees to Resume Air Traffic Between Cairo, Moscow
January 5, 2018
