“What we’ve got to do is ensure that… airport security reflects local conditions”, he told the BBC.
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The United Kingdom halted flights to and from the resort on Wednesday, citing intelligence concerns that the Airbus may have been downed by a bomb.
Separately, CNN showed a video released by IS that purports to show leaders in Aleppo congratulating their cohorts in Sinai on the tragedy. While the interception between the Wilayat Sinai and the USA forces did not mention a possible takedown of an airliner, one defense official said a few comments made by the ISIS wing could actually be linked to the incident. “We shot it down, so rage as you will”.
Ayman al-Muqaddam, the head of Egypt’s investigation, said the sound was heard just before Metrojet Flight 9268 broke apart in the air 23 minutes and 14 seconds after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh airport, CNN reported.
In an apparent reference to the bomb theory, al-Muqaddam said that a few media reports “claimed to be based on official intelligence that favors a certain scenario for the cause of the accident” and that Egypt had not been provided with that information.
‘The indications and analysis so far of the sound on the black box indicate it was a bomb’.
“Jihadis in the Sinai area of Egypt could be heard celebrating”, the unnamed source said.
In the statement, the operator said it was continuing to work with the Government to finalise its flying programme for following days and will update accordingly. Emirates Airlines President Tim Clark said he expected the crash would result in demands for stringent aviation security worldwide.
The airport at Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh has long seen gaps in security, including a key baggage scanning device that often is not functioning and lax searches at an entry gate for food and fuel for the planes, security officials at the airport told The Associated Press.
Nicky Bull, a human resources manager, said passengers were informed of increased security measures around their plane.
“Where there’s a local higher threat, that will mean higher levels of security are required and that may mean additional costs and may mean additional delays at airports”.
Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said that the first group of Russian security experts had headed for Egypt, the second group is also scheduled to leave Russia on Sunday, which will later be followed by the third group.
Nicky Bull, a human resources manager, said she thought many people would “question whether they ever want to go to Egypt again”. Britain has since suspended flights to Sharm el Sheikh and provided emergency flights on Friday to return a few 20,000 British tourists who were stranded in the Red Sea resort.
In Russian Federation, mourners packed into the landmark St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg for a memorial service for the victims.
Egypt’s tourist business has dropped significantly since 2011, when the country was engulfed in anti-government protests.
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Eleven British aircraft are on standby in Cyprus to help airlift thousands of British tourists from Sharm el-Sheikh as part of a British evacuation plan, airport authorities said.
