Support The Moscow Times!

Russia's Egypt Flight Ban Here to Stay — Medvedev

The industry is already reeling from a sharp fall in the value of the ruble and Russia's increasing international isolation over the Ukraine crisis.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government meeting Monday that flights to Egypt, one of the most popular international destinations for Russian tourists, are unlikely to be resumed in the near future, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

“It's a complicated topic, we have to keep all the processes under control, which is why we created a headquarters. We shouldn't be under any illusions that it will be a short period,” Medevdev said about the flight ban.

Russia's tourism industry is facing huge financial losses after the government suspended air traffic between Russia and Egypt over safety concerns following the crash of an Airbus A321 over the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31. Egypt’s Red Sea resorts are hugely popular with Russian tourists and the country is the second most popular foreign destination for Russian holidaymakers after Turkey.

As much as $200 million could be lost by the tourism industry if flights to Egypt are not resumed by February, the Association for Russian Tour Operators said Monday, gazeta.ru news website reported. As many as 4 million Russian tourists visited Egypt last year.

The industry is already reeling from a sharp fall in the value of the ruble and Russia's increasing international isolation over the Ukraine crisis.

Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Sunday that the government was looking at ways to calculate the losses to the tour industry because of the cancelled flights and had been ordered by Medvedev to draw up a program of financial support for the sector.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more