Russian tourists fly in to Egypt’s Red Sea resorts

A Russian tourist flight from Moscow landed in an Egyptian Red Sea resort Monday for the first time since October 2015, a civil aviation official said on Monday.

Moscow barred direct flights to Egypt after a six-year hiatus since the 2015 Russian plane crash in Sinai.

Monday’s EgyptAir flight from the Russian capital brought 300 tourists to Hurghada, and a second flight is due on Tuesday to bring Russia holidaymakers to the popular resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

EgyptAir CEO Amr Abulenein told AFP the national carrier would be operating a total of seven flights a week between Moscow and Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.

A Russian delegation inspected both airports and resort hotels at the end of last month to check on security and health procedures, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.

Egypt reopened to foreign tourists in July last year after having closed its borders in March to stem the flow of coronavirus infections.