Russia bans Egypt Air from flying to Moscow

Egypt Air has been banned from flying to Russia, a move that follows the suspension of all Russian flights to Egypt after a deadly plane crash in October.

People gathered to lay flowers in memory of the plane crash victims at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St.Petersburg. Image by AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

Russian state aviation agency Rosaviatsiya formally notified Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, where all flights by Egypt’s national carrier arrive, that the ban will be effective from Saturday, an airport spokesman said.

The agency did not give any immediate reason for the ban on flights.

The move follows Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision to suspend all Russian flights to Egypt after the crash of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt on October 31 that killed all 224 people on board.

Moscow said the ban was necessary because of concerns about security at Egypt’s airports.

Egyptian Military on cars approach a plane’s tail at the wreckage of a passenger jet bound for St. Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana, Egypt, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015. Image by (Maxim Grigoriev/Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations via AP)

US and British officials have cited intelligence reports indicating that the plane was brought down by a bomb on board shortly after it took off from Egypt’s Sharm al-Sheikh en route to St Petersburg.

Russia and Egypt said the statements were premature as the official crash probe has not concluded. The flight ban, however, suggests that Russia takes the prospect extremely seriously.

Russia’s national flag carrier Aeroflot announced on Friday that it will not fly to Egypt until March 27 2016.

(Press Association)