A Russian delegation of tourism and health officials will arrive in Cairo on Tuesday to inspect security and safety procedures carried out in Egypt's Sea resorts in Sharm al-Sheikh and Hurghada. The visit – which will last until next Friday – comes ahead of the resumption of direct Russian flights to the two Red Sea resort cities on August 9. The delegation will comprise officials representing Russia's health inspection department, Scientific Research Institute, and Federal Agency for Tourism," sources from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry told local press on Monday. It is set to check health, safety, and protection measures in Sharm al-Sheikh and Hurghada airports besides some hotels and hospitals in the two cities, the sources added. Russia suspended flights to Egypt a few days after a Russian plane crashed over Sinai Peninsula in late October 2015, killing all 224 people on board. In April 2018, direct flights between Moscow and Cairo were resumed, but the suspension related to the two Red Sea resort cities remained pending until Russian President Vladimir Putin made a decision earlier this month to lift a ban on flights to the two cities. "From August 9, the number of flights to Europe will be increased, with Moscow-Hurghada and Moscow-Sharm el-Sheikh flights adding up to five flights per week for every route," the Russian anti-coronavirus crisis centre said in a statement on July 23. "Further decisions to increase the number of flights via the above-mentioned routes will be made following a visit of a Russian delegation to Egypt to assess the epidemiological situation." the statement read.
