Russian observers set up at Egypt's airports
Russia officially resumed flights to Egyptian resorts after a six-year hiatus, sparking controversy amid accusations that the government ceded too much authority to Moscow.
CAIRO — A flight that took off from Russia, carrying on board 300 Russian tourists, landed at Egypt’s Hurghada Airport on Aug. 9, for the first time in nearly six years.
The next day, the airport in Sharm el-Sheikh received the first EgyptAir flight from Moscow, also after a six-year hiatus.
On Nov. 6, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the suspension of all flights to Egypt after a Russian charter flight ferrying more than 200 passengers crashed in the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31, 2015. In April of this year, Moscow agreed to resume flights to Egyptian resorts.
The decision to resume flights between Moscow and Cairo sparked controversy in Egypt, amid accusations that the government placed the Egyptian airports under Russian control and allowed Russian experts to be present there, in exchange for flights to resume between the two countries.
