The Egyptian government signed Wednesday a deal with UK-based Control Risks Group to evaluate the security in a number of Egyptian airports, Minister of Civil Aviation Hossam Kamal announced to state news agency MENA.
The move comes as a step toward the implementation of an agreement signed between the Aviation Ministry and the Control Risks late December to follow up on securing Egyptian airports following the crash of a plane on flight KGL9268 carrying Russian holidaymakers that killed all 224 aboard late October.
The crash, which British officials suspect was caused by an onboard explosive, damaged Egypt’s tourism industry and heightened airport security concerns globally.
“The deal will be carried out in two phases. The British company will initially evaluate three international airports in Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, and Marsa Allam. The first phase will take six months at a cost of less than $700,000 to be provided by the Tourism Support Fund,” Kamal added in a cabinet statement.
The deal also stipulates that Control Risks will offer consultations to the Egyptian government regarding the security of Egyptian airports.
Restoring confidence
The Ministry of Tourism announced in November that the cabinet intended to recruit an international company to evaluate the security procedures of Egyptian airports. This followed the Russian plane crash in Sinai on 31 October 2015, which killed all 224 people on board.
Egypt seeks to restore foreign countries’ confidence, including Russia, the UK and Turkey, after they announced the suspension of their flights to Sharm El-Sheikh following the Russian plane crash.
A number of security committees from Russia, the UK, and Germany visited Egypt over the past few months to review the security procedures adopted in Egyptian airports.
Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou said, in the cabinet’s statement, that he looks forward to the positive effects of the deal on tourist influx to Egypt and then on the tourism sector.
Security recommendations
The British company will submit its recommendations regarding the Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh and Marsa Alam airports, and the suggested procedures to be adopted on medium and long terms, according to Kamal.
Egypt’s revenues from tourism fell to $6.1bn in 2015, 15% less than the revenues registered in 2014.
The evaluation includes a number of steps namely the training patterns, devices, and equipment required to secure the airports, whether in terms of increasing their numbers or upgrading them continuously.
“The aim of the deal is to reach the best formula considering the current international aviation organisation’s regulations and addressing the potential risks and deficiencies,” Zaazou said.
The London-based global Control Risks group has been operating in the Middle East and North Africa for 15 years and has offices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to Reuters.
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