El-Sisi’s visit comes ten days after the crash of Russian airbus A321, which killed all 224 people on board while on route from Sinai to Russia’s St. Petersburg.
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A few in the USA are anxious there may be gaps in security for airport workers.
United States and British officials have cited intelligence reports as indicating the passenger plane was probably caused by a bomb on board.
“Tourism movement will return to normal, after making sure that all the measures are taken at Egypt’s airports and shunning claims by global media, which said that it is possible that the plane was brought down by a bomb”, he said. An Egyptian-led investigative committee had announced that a sound was caught by the black box just before the disaster, but it said further analysis was needed.
The emergency visit last Wednesday was more intensive and focused especially on a review of the airport’s CCTV coverage of the baggage handling system, which found worrying flaws. Security guards and caterers were also being inspected.
Sisi, who has dismissed the claim as “propaganda”, said on his surprise visit to Sharm el-Sheikh that only the official probe could determine the cause.
“The matter appears as if it were a conspiracy against Egypt for objectives unrelated to the incident”, he added. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation has offered forensic assistance and other services to our partners in Egypt and Russian Federation, and stands ready to assist”, the agency said in a statement.
Egypt’s tourism industry, once the flagship of the country’s economy, suffered a major downturn after the January 25, 2011 revolution that brought down then-president Hosni Mubarak.
A HARWICH family were delayed for a day in the tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
According to Alaa Youssef, spokesman for the presidency, Sisi inspected the airport’s security to ensure all procedures live up to “international standards” in an attempt to quell fears of lax security making attacks easier to carry out.
“The king stressed full confidence in Egyptian security, army and government”, it said.
EasyJet said on its website that all delayed passengers would be home by the end of next weekend while Monarch said the last Sharm flight would depart next Tuesday.
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Mr Fouda, the South Sinai governor, said Egyptian security was eagerly cooperating with Britain in the hope of quickly resuming flights back to Sharm el-Sheikh.
