Russian delegation lauds Cairo Airport security procedures

CAIRO – 29 July 2017: A Russian security delegation Friday praised Egypt’s latest security developments at Cairo International Airport (CIA) second Terminal. CIA’s Terminal 2 is expected to host flights between Cairo and Moscow in the future.

The Russian experts said that many problematic security aspects have been improved since the last inspection in February.

The three-day inspection mission included examining the newly installed biometric fingerprints devices, security procedures for passengers, luggage, cargo, airport staff gates, and the installed security cameras at the airport. The mission concluded by inspecting the runway and the fire and control units at CIA.

The Russian security delegation visited Egypt on at least six occasions, but this visit is seen as “the most important because it will determine the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt,” according to Al-Ahram newspaper.


The Russian security delegation that arrived on a Turkish flight from Istanbul, was comprised of five security experts accompanied by a number of Egyptian security officials and senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Tourism, and employees of the Russian “Aeroflot” airlines. The delegation is expected to report the observed developments at the security level in the airport to the Russian government, which will inform their decision for the resumption of Russian flights and tourism to Egypt.

Egypt received several inspection missions including missions from the United States, the united Kingdom, and a United Nations (UN) delegation from the UN Counter-Terrorism committee.

Russia suspended flights with Egypt in October, 2015 after a Russian passenger plane crashed in Sinai after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh. All 224 people on board, mostly Russian nationals, were killed. The Russian plane incident was identified by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as terror attack.

Following the airplane crash other countries suspended their flights to Egypt. Germany, Poland and Turkey have since resumed flights; the UK, formerly a major source of tourists to Egypt, has not done so.