Russian security personnel to protect Russian tourists at sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada Airports

Russian security forces have been dispatched to sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada Airports in Egypt as direct flights from Moscow and two resort destinations in the Sinai resume.

EgyptAir flight MS724 took off from Moscow with 300 people on board and landed in Hurghada without incident, the airline said.

Russia last month said direct flights between Moscow and the resort would resume on August 09, six years after a ban following the downing of a Russian passenger jet over the Sinai, few minutes after takeoff from sharm El-Sheikh airport.

The Islamic state group, ISIS, claimed responsibility for the incident that caused the death of all the over 200 people onboard.

The Russian Ambassador in Cairo, Georgiy Borisenko, last week said Moscow is assured that the Egyptian authorities have enhanced all necessary security measures at airports and resorts.

Russian and Eastern European tourists make Egypt’s largest chunk of international visitors.

Egypt expects this year more than one million Russian tourists as it also targets between $6 billion and $9 billion in tourism revenues in 2021.