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Russian Federation Bans EgyptAir Flights From November 14

The aviation agency Rosaviatsia declined to comment on the decision and Egypt’s civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said Russian authorities had not officially informed Cairo.

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Russian Federation has suspended all commercial flights in and out of Egypt following the recent crash.

The plane, operated by Russian firm Kogalymavia, came down shortly after takeoff from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 31, killing all 224 people on board in Russia’s worst air disaster.

Following the crash, several countries suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, dealing a heavy blow to Egypt’s already-reeling tourism industry.

Sinai Province, Islamic State’s Egypt branch, is active in North Sinai where two years ago it launched an insurgency and has since killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen.

In addition to the previous restrictions, the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia also banned all flights by Egypt Air going to Russia.

Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada and other Red Sea resort towns have traditionally been popular tourist destinations for Russians. The plane’s black box recordings are being sent to an unnamed country to be inspected.

If it were a US airliner crash, the official said, the engines most likely would be torn down.

Although bodies have been repatriated to Russia, it’s unclear from both Egyptian and Russian officials whether autopsies have been performed on them, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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After warning about the possibility of a bomb on November 4, Britain said it was warning against any non-essential air travel to Sharm el-Sheikh and dispatched security experts to the airport. However, their offer hasn’t been formally accepted by both countries. Their questions were related to the plane’s engine, which was manufactured by an American company Pratt & Whitney.

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