Russian flight safety experts may visit Egypt in September to inspect airport security in the country’s airports, Russian transport minister Maksim Sokolov said Monday.

“Different experts in various fields are there [in Egypt] quite often. I think the next visit should be planned for somewhere in September,” Sokolov told reporters.

Following his visit to Russia last week, Egyptian civil aviation minister Sherif Fathy invited Russian experts to conduct their final inspection of security at Egyptian airports to expedite the resumption of direct air traffic between Egypt and Russia.

On October 31, Airbus A321 operated by the Russian air carrier Kogalymavia crashed in the Sinai Peninsula. The plane, carrying 224 people, was heading to St. Petersburg from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh. Russia’s Investigative Committee has officially classified the plane crash as a terrorist attack.

The Egyptian tourism industry has been hit hard after a number of countries, including Russia and the United Kingdom, suspended flights to Egypt over safety concerns following the crash.

Source: english.ahram.org.eg