12/18/2018
There are no technical obstacles to the opening of Egypt — Hurghada airport meets the latest security requirements. However, the «final word» depends on the political leadership of Russia. Such data on the results of the visit to Egypt of the Russian delegation to check the airports are published by Egypt Independent. At the same time, we recall that, according to optimistic forecasts, the launch of charters in Hurghada may take place at the beginning of the year, and according to realistic forecasts, at the beginning of March.
On Sunday, the Russian delegation, which included experts in the field of transport safety, completed an inspection of the Hurghada airport and flew to Moscow. Security checks in the waiting rooms, arrival terminals, as well as the protection of passengers, their luggage and access to aircraft were subjected to verification.
According to the Egyptian press, all airport systems were highly praised: the devices used at Hurghada airport are recognized as the newest ones in use in the world. In particular, 14 biometric fingerprinting and retinal devices will be used to check employee access to the old and new airport buildings.
Let us remind you that it was the problem of checking and accessing employees that was one of the bottlenecks in the approval process. “Everything is done by the hands of local specialists, and it is difficult to control everything. We always see these weak points and try to remove them, ”said Vladimir Chertok, deputy head of Rostransnadzor three years ago. It was about such processes as cleaning the plane, loading luggage there, and so on. According to one version, it was the lack of such control that made possible the terrorist attack that caused the crash of the Kogalymavia liner over Sinai — it is believed that an explosive device could have been carried aboard the plane by a cleaner.
However, in the end, the «difficult question» was apparently agreed. The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation said the delegation confirmed that the security measures at Egyptian airports are no less than those used at Russian and European airports.
This is to be followed by a report from the delegation after their return to Moscow. At the same time, the final decision on when the charters to Egypt will be opened «depends on the Russian political leadership,» the Egyptian side notes. Let us remind you that the political “go-ahead” was already voiced by the “top officials” in mid-October. “We will strive to resume charter flights to Egyptian resorts in the near future,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart. So far, this is only a political decision, and its implementation may drag on indefinitely — from several weeks to several months, as was the case with the opening of flights to Cairo, the start of which lasted for 4 months. At the same time, tour operators and airlines need a little time to deliver charters to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh — all they need is a signal from the aviation authorities.
Egyptian media predict the opening for Russian charters of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, the main resorts of Egypt, in early 2019. Judging by the tone of the discussions in the local media, Russian tourists in Egypt are still eagerly awaited, despite the fact that according to the estimates of the travel market experts conducting their inspection of the resorts, the hotels in Hurghada are already loaded almost to the limit.
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