"We understand the concern of our Egyptian partners who hope to resume air traffic with Russia and the United Kingdom this summer, but the decision is likely to be delayed. As far as we know, the United Kingdom postponed the resumption of the air traffic from the summer to November. It means that our British colleagues are waiting for their Egyptian partners to revise the security measures [in the country]. Hopefully, the restrictions to be lifted this fall," Lukashin told RIA Novosti.
Lukashin noted that the Egyptian tourist industry has been damaged due to the decline in the number of tourists from Russia and the European countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy. In the first quarter of 2016, the Egyptian tourist industry's contracted by three times to $500 millions.
Lukashin stressed that as he had noticed the improvement made in the work of the Egyptian security services.
Russia and several other countries suspended flights to and from Egypt last fall after a Russian airliner crashed in the Sinai desert on October 31 while flying from the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg killing all 224 people on board. Militants affiliated with the Daesh terror group, outlawed in Russia, claimed responsibility for what they said was a bomb attack.
