Aeroflot sets date for reinstatement of flights to Egypt

The company’s aircraft will be flying the Moscow-Cairo route three times per week (Leonid Faerberg / Transport-Photo.com)

Russias national carrier Aeroflot is to resume scheduled flights from Moscow to Cairo, Egypt from 11 April 2018, following more than a two-year ban on air services between the two countries.

Flights will be operated three times per week with Airbus A320s from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. Ticket sales were launched on 13 March.

Because of the expected higher demand during the finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is taking place in Russia from 12 June to 2 July, frequencies between the Russian and Egyptian capitals would be temporarily increased to once-daily during that period.

EgyptAir, Egypt’s designated airline on the route, has commented for Russian Aviation Insider that no decision has yet been made on when it will resume services to Russia. The timetable of Moscow’s Domodedovo airport lists the Egyptian carrier’s first flight as scheduled for March 22.

Earlier this month, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov explained that to relaunch the services, both Aeroflot and EgyptAir have to sign all the requisite documents by the end of March or early April. The Federal Air Transport Agency would then be able to authorize the flights.

Aeroflot ceased operations to Cairo in late 2015, following the crash of a Russian Metrojet (Kogalymavia) Airbus A321 on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 31.

Egyptian airport security was subsequently found to be substandard, which called for the introduction of stricter security measures before flights between the two countries could be resumed.

This requirement has now been met by Egypt; on January 4, 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree permitting the resumption of regular air traffic services between the countries.