British ambassador welcomes Egypt’s deal with Control Risks to secure airports

UK ambassador to Cairo John Casson welcomed on Tuesday the Egyptian government’s agreement with international company Control Risk to review and enhance security conditions in Egypt’s airports nationwide.

“This positive step again demonstrates that Egypt is moving to address international concerns and wants to make its airports a model of safety and service for the world,” said Casson in his statement, praising Egypt’s commitment to the highest stands of security at Egyptian airports.

The leading international security and risk advisory company will review the security procedures at airports.

Casson also stated that the deal would boost the joint plan that Britain and Egypt agreed on to soon allow the return of flights from the UK to Sharm El-Sheikh.

The UK made in early November a precautionary decision to suspend all flights by UK-based airlines over Egypt’s central Sinai after fears that an explosive device was likely the cause of the Russian airliner crash in October over the peninsula, which killed all 224 people on board.

According to the press conference held earlier on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou revealed that Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh airports will be the first to be reviewed

“Britain wants to be the first to restart flights so that tourism can lead to the revival of Egypt’s economy,” he added.

Thousands of British tourists returned home from Sharm El-Sheikh following the decision to suspend flights, which negatively affected tourism in the famous Red Sea resort.

The British decision was followed by similar measures by other countries who expressed concerns about the security procedures in Egyptian airports, especially the Sharm El-Sheikh airport.

source: Ahram Online