American delegation inspects Cairo Air Port security measures

CAIRO – 6 April 2017: A delegation from the American Transportation Security Administration (TSA) arrived in Cairo Monday to check security measures at Cairo International Airport, particularly for direct New York-bound flights, state-run

Al-Ahram

reported Monday.

Sources at Cairo International Airport confirmed to Al-Ahram that the delegation will conduct an inspection to evaluate security measures in the airport to ensure the safety of Cairo-New York flights.

Al-Ahram added that the inspection will include checking the security of the airport passengers’ lounge and the equipment provided for screening luggage. The delegation will conduct checks on security officials’ performance and the measures followed to secure parcels at the airport’s cargo village, the report added.

In February 2016, another TSA delegation visited Cairo for the same reason, and reportedly praised security at Cairo International Airport after the inspection,

Al-Fajr

reported.

TSA sends a delegation to Egypt twice a year; their current visit to Cairo marks their 28th since the procedure began in 2004, the report added.

Egyptian officials are keen to step up security measures at Egyptian airports to enhance aviation security following a string of air accidents that hit Egypt in the last two years, which have severely affected tourism and consequently national carrier EgyptAir.

In March 2016, EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed in to the Mediterranean Sea while en-route from Paris to Cairo, with 56 passengers and 10 crew on board. All were killed in the crash.

Russia has also sent a number of delegations specializing in airport security to Egypt since suspending flights to Egypt over security concerns following the downing of a Russian plane over the Sinai Peninsula in October 2015, killing all 224 passengers and crew on board.

In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in a phone call that Russian flights to Egypt will be resumed.

The Russian government has agreed on an aviation safety protocol with Egypt to monitor the achievement of airport safety measures,

Al-Ahram Online

said in February, citing Russian news agency TASS.