After 6-Year Ban, Moscow Resumes Flights to Red Sea Resorts

An EgyptAir flight carrying 300 tourists from Moscow was welcomed upon arrival in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada on Monday with a ceremonial water salute, and flowers and balloons. It was the first flight full of Russian tourists to visit the area in nearly six years. Russia put a ban on flights to Egypt in late 2015 after a local branch of Islamic State bombed a Russian airliner shortly after take off from Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board the plane. Russia blamed lax security procedures at Egyptian airports. Prior to the ban, Russians made up the largest number of tourists to visit Egypt, including 3 million in 2014. Flights between Moscow and Cairo resumed in April 2018 after security was improved at Cairo’s international airport, and Russian inspectors checked on security and health procedures at Egypt’s airports and resort hotels last week ahead of the resumed Red Sea flights.