Russian specialists to monitor aviation security in Egyptian airports
MOSCOW. Feb 17 (Interfax) - The Russian government has approved a draft protocol on cooperation with Egypt in the sphere of civil aviation security, the government press service said on Friday.
"Under the protocol, Russian representatives are to monitor compliance with the aviation safety and security measures by Egyptian experts at international airports in Egypt. The resumption of service depends on Egypt's compliance with noted items on aviation safety and security measures," the protocol, posted on the government's website, says.
The protocol provides for the participation of Russian specialists in the inspection of security screening equipment in Egyptian international airports in accordance to manufacturer requirements, as well as assessing the effectiveness of measures to ensure aviation security with test-items (dummy explosive devices) and test-objects (conventional attacks) together with local security services.
As part of a fact-finding mission to Egypt, Russian specialists will examine the organization and behavior of airport employees in passenger and luggage registration procedures; pre-flight security inspections of passenger, goods, post, the planes themselves as well as their technical and ground support and aircraft boarding. The Russian specialists' area of interest will also include examining goods sold in the restricted area of an airport and its infrastructure facilities, the draft protocol said.
If the visit reveals critical deficiencies in aviation security measures, then the Russian side will develop additional recommendations which Egypt would have to implement. If Egypt does not adhere to the protocol norms or follow the new recommendations, Russia will have to right "to restrict bilateral air connections by placing restrictions on the operation of international flights by airlines of both sides," the document said.
The Russian Ministry of Transport and Egyptian aviation authorities will be responsible for the coordination of activities to fulfill the requirements of the protocol. Inspections will be carried out by "specialists of a Russian company" authorized by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia). The agency told Interfax a company had not yet been chosen.
"Rosaviatsia reached out to Russian organizations operating in the aviation security industry with a request to examine and analyze the prospect of their specialists participating in the carrying out of functions to monitoring compliance to aviation security procedures in Egyptian international airports from which flights to Russia are expected to originate. Work is currently underway on the collection and analysis of incoming information to Rosaviatsia in order to make concrete decisions on the selection of specialists in the future," a Rosaviatsia representative said.
Russian and Egyptian airlines will only be able to operate flights between Russia and Egypt upon the agreement of the commissioned company that provision of aviation security fulfills the terms of the protocol.
The development of the protocol started following the closing of air connections between Russia and Egypt in November 2015, triggered by Russia in response to the downing of a Russian Kogalymavia flight between Sharm-el-Sheikh and St. Petersburg over the Sinai peninsula. All 217 passengers and seven crew members on board died. The Federal Security Service (FSB) later declared the incident a terrorist attack.
It was reported earlier that the resumption of air connections between Russia and Egypt would start with the opening of scheduled flights between the two capitals. Russian passengers would be served by Cairo airport's second terminal, where new security systems have been installed. The Ministry of Transport has already sent the proposal on resuming flights to be considered by the government, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said at the end of January. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told journalists that the decision on starting flights was "close", but did not give an exact timeframe. The resumption of charter flights to Egyptian resort towns of Hurghada and Sharm-el-Sheikh will take place later, the Transport Ministry said earlier, adding that it was nevertheless a question for "the not distant future".
The protocol does not specify a timeframe for the resumption of flights: it states that they "depend on the Egyptian side carrying out corrective aviation security measures."