The resumption of flights from the United Kingdom to Egypt relies on completing the safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed in coordination with the Egyptian government, according to British ambassador to Cairo John Casson. On the sidelines of a press conference held by the Ministry of International Cooperation for the inauguration of a medical centre for artificial limbs in Matrouh, Casson said that the resumption of flights to Egypt is a high priority for the embassy in Cairo. He noted that there are daily talks with Egyptian officials in this regard. He said that Britain will resume flights to Egypt as soon as possible; however, he did not set a specific date. He pointed out that Britain is currently reviewing the safety procedures of Egyptian airports, in preparation to allow the tourism flow to return in a sustainable manner. On the other hand, Casson spoke about the economic cooperation between the two countries, as British Petroleum (BP) announced allocating 21% of its investments—estimated at $13bn—over the next five years to the Egyptian market. The British ambassador said that the British government supports the application of the economic reform programme, currently adopted by Egypt, pointing out that he supports allowing the Egyptian pound's exchange rate to move both directions based on supply and demand, as well as securing sufficient foreign currency liquidity. He added that the Egyptian government is required to deal with the effects of the application of its economic programme and provide adequate social protection for the most vulnerable populations—which Britain is helping with. Moreover, he said that a new plan was announced during a previous visit of the trade delegate to Egypt, where a concrete factory is set to be established in the Suez Canal area. He described the travel warning announced by the embassy to its nationals in Egypt earlier as a routine measure. "We, in London, receive information from around the world. Every week or month, the status of travel safety for each country changes," he stressed. He noted that since the 25 January Revolution, there has never been a ban on travel from Britain to Cairo, Alexandria, and Marsa Matrouh, pointing out that the Egyptian reaction was too big. He added that the British Embassy is committed to warning its nationals across the world on information related to safety. "We also coordinate with other countries in this regard," he noted. He predicted several visits between both countries will take place in the coming period, especially for talks concerning security and terrorism.
