Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsia has banned flights by EgyptAir, Egypt’s state-owned airline, to Russian Federation from Saturday, the Interfax news agency said Friday.
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The agency, Rosaviatsiya, on Friday formally notified Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, where EgyptAir flights arrive, that the ban is effective starting Saturday, said airport spokesman Alexander Vlasov.
“We feel bad that our country suspended flights to Egypt”, two Russians living in Sharm El-Sheikh said. Russia has a comparable role because most of the victims were Russian, and the airline is based there.
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.
“We are enjoying our time here and we will continue our vacation”, they said.
The statement also said, “In the current situation, plans for the evacuation of passengers who are still in Sharm el-Sheikh will be shared later,”.
The incident prompted Russian Federation and a few other countries to impose severe restrictions on flights to and from Egypt, which have dealt a severe blow to Egypt’s tourism industry.
But Rosaviatsia declined to comment on the claim.
Western officials say there is a strong possibility that a bomb exploded on the plane, but Russian Federation and Egypt say it is too early to draw conclusions. Russian and British tourists make up the bulk of visitors to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt’s premier resort town. “Search the wreckage of the plane, find your black box and analyze it”.
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“We wouldn’t expect [Egypt] to provide” the USA with transcripts of the cockpit voice recorder, the NTSB official said, though the safety board remains ready to provide broader assistance to the probe if asked. The claim had been rejected by the governments of Russian Federation and Egypt, as they did not have any proof. Even if it was a terrorist attack, he said, the Egyptian government is capable of securing the airports after the security breach.
