President Vladimir Putin ordered the suspension of all Russian passenger flights to Egypt on Friday until the cause of a deadly plane crash at the weekend has been established.
Putin’s decision was a response to the unexplained crash of an Airbus A321 operated by a Russian carrier on Saturday over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. All 224 people on board were killed.
The move, which follows decisions by Britain and Ireland to suspend flights to and from Sharm al-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort where the downed Russian airliner originated, is the first sign that Moscow is attaching credibility to the theory that Islamist militants somehow planted a bomb on the aircraft.
Putin acted after Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s FSB security service, recommended that Russia suspend all passenger flights to Egypt until it knew exactly what caused the crash.
“The head of state agreed with these recommendations,” Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
“V. Putin has tasked the government with working out a mechanism to realise the recommendations of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee and to ensure the return of Russian citizens to the motherland.”
A Sinai-based group affiliated with Islamic State group, the militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, has claimed responsibility for the crash, which, if confirmed, would make it the jihadist organisation’s first attack on civil aviation.
But before Friday afternoon, the Kremlin had firmly said it was too early to say what caused the crash and that all theories, including the possibility of technical failure, should be examined by the official investigation.
‘Complex and difficult operation’
Egypt is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Russians and any decision to suspend flights would cause major logistical problems for Russia’s airlines and stranded tourists.
BRITISH TOURISTS BEGIN FLYING HOME FROM EGYPT AMID TERRORIST FEARS
Around 45,000 Russians are currently on holiday in Egypt, Russian news agency TASS reported.
Britain and Ireland have already suspended regular flights to Sharm al-Sheikh amid growing concerns over what caused the plane crash and the level of security at the resort’s airport.
British attempts to bring home thousands of stranded tourists were thrown into chaos on Friday when Egypt slashed the number of flights it would allow to take them home.
Britain, which has about 20,000 of its tourists in Sharm al-Sheikh, was planning to return some of them from the resort on Friday, with only hand luggage, due to security concerns.
Those plans were thrown into confusion when Egypt said only eight of the planned 29 flights to take the Britons home would be able to operate. Britain’s Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin had earlier said “well over 20 flights” were scheduled.
Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation Hossam Kamal said the operation to bring large numbers of British holidaymakers from their hotels to the airport and then put them on flights without their luggage was “a huge burden on the airport because its capacity does not allow for that”.
“We have asked them to organise eight flights only, and one plane will transport luggage,” Kamal said.
He said the airport did not have room to store the more than 120 tonnes of luggage that departing passengers would leave behind.
A spokesman for Cameron said Britain was trying to get the holidaymakers home quickly and safely, but described the situation as “difficult and fluid”.
“We have to be realistic that this is a complex and difficult operation. We are working closely with the airline companies, with the Egyptian authorities, to ensure that we get British nationals out safely,” he said.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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