Russia approves Egypt’s civil aviation security protocol

The Russian government approved on Friday Egypt’s civil aviation security protocol as terrorist threats are on the rise, the official Sputnik news agency has reported.

According to a statement by the Ministerial Cabinet in Moscow, the protocol allows Russian monitors to check staff compliance with security measures in Egyptian airports. “The time to resume flights depends on the implementation of aviation safety on the part of Egypt,” the cabinet statement pointed out.

Russia suspended flights to and from Egypt after a St Petersburg-bound Airbus A321 crashed in the Sinai Peninsula soon after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh on 31 October, 2015, killing all 224 people on board.

Last September, the Egyptian aviation minister and his Russian counterpart agreed on certain security measures to be taken regarding flights between the two countries.