Majority of Russians Polled Support Ban on Flights to Egypt

Over two thirds of Russians answering a survey consider the suspension of flights to Egypt to be the correct decision, according to a poll released Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On November 6, Russia canceled all flights to Egypt after a Russian-owned A321 plane crashed in late October over the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 on board.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday that an improvised explosive device equivalent to about one kilogram of TNT detonated on board the A321 shortly after take-off from the Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

At least 77 percent of poll respondents react positively on an Egyptian flight ban, while 15 percent of respondents do not consider this measure necessary, according to a survey conducted by the Moscow-based Levada Center revealed.

According to the Levada Center, 18 percent of Russians polled blame Sharm el-Sheikh airport ground security services for the tragedy, 17 percent blame Egypt's security services, 16 percent lay full responsibility on the Islamic State terrorist group, and 14 percent blame the Kogalymavia Airline that owned the plane.

The considerable part of respondents had been questioned before the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday that killed 129 people, and before the FSB confirmed that the Russian A321 had crashed due to an extremist bomb attack.