Cairo – Mubasher: The UK may consider lifting its ban on flights to Sharm El-Sheikh if Russian flights are resumed to Egypt.
British security experts have witnessed around GBP 20 million improvements at Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, in addition to the resumption of many flights to the Red Sea resort, according to a recent report by TTG Media.
The aforementioned investment has covered replacement of outdated security equipment, hiring UK aviation security firm Restrata to train 7,000 staff, run background checks on existing staff, and introducing new biometric ID systems, the report highlighted.
Additionally, Egypt has spent a further GBP 26 million to improve security at hotspots and hotels.
Given that, Russian flights have recently resumed to Cairo, but have not returned yet to Sharm El-Sheikh, upon which Egypt stated that Russia's decision is a "very positive message" to the UK government.
"I’m afraid I’m not aware of any progress since the Department for Transport responded to my adjournment debate on Sharm in the House of Commons on December 13 last year,” co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) Jonathan Lord told TTG.
"The Egypt APPG still supports strongly the resumption of flights from the UK to Sharm, as outlined in the Commons debate," he continued.
The UK had suspended its flights to Sharm El-Sheikh after a Russian passenger jet had crashed in the Sinai Peninsula in October 2015, killing all 217 people on board.
