Aeroflot resumes flights between Moscow and Cairo on April 11

Russia’s Aeroflot group announced Tuesday the resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Cairo on April 11, as the air link between the two countries was suspended after the attack on a Russian charter over the Sinai at the end of 2015.

“Aeroflot is resuming regular Moscow-Cairo-Moscow flights from April 11, 2018. Flights will be operated three times a week” and their numbers will increase during the football World Cup to be held in Russia, announced the airline in a statement, saying that ticket sales were now open.

“Aeroflot ceased its flights to Cairo at the end of 2015, when flights between Russia and Egypt were interrupted, and to restore the flights, a significant increase in security measures was needed. Egyptian side, and on January 4, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the resumption of scheduled air traffic,” Aeroflot said in the same statement.

Other connections should be provided between the two capitals by the Egyptian company EgyptAir, which has not yet announced a date but whose flights appear as of March 22 on the website of the Muscovite airport Domodedovo.

A cooperation agreement in the field of aviation safety was signed in December between Moscow and Cairo, initially providing for a resumption of flights in February.

The relations between Russia and Egypt were disrupted in October 2015 by the attack against an Airbus of a Russian company that killed 224 after taking off from Egyptian territory and was claimed by the Islamic State Jihadist group. Russia then suspended flights to Egypt, which together with Turkey was the first tourist destination of the Russians. This measure still penalises the Egyptian tourism industry today.