Almasria Airlines reduced its flight program from Russia to Egyptian resorts

Egyptian airline AlMasria Universal Airlines is reducing the flight program from Russia to Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada resorts and back from May 20 by almost a third, a source in the airline itself told Izvestia. The fact of the program revision was confirmed by Rosaviatsia and a source in the Ministry of Transport.

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They have already booked 70% more flights than a year earlier.

"For Anex Tour 50% of flights have been reduced. The airline will fly to Sharm el-Sheikh only five times a week. For Fun&Sun, the reduction in aircraft departures amounted to 37%. AlMasria Universal Airlines can only operate seven flights each week to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. For Coral Travel, the Egyptian carrier plans to reduce flights by 21% (20 flights to Sharm El Sheikh and 10 to Hurghada). In total, the cuts will amount to 27%," he added.

According to the Izvestia interlocutor, the canceled flights will be redistributed by tour operators between Russian and foreign carriers. Domestic airlines Azur, Ural Airlines and Red Wings, as well as Egyptian airlines Egypt Air, Air Cairo, Red Sea Airlines should take up the load. Moreover, the schedule will be changed already from May 20, the carrier claims.

The reason for the revision of the schedule, an interlocutor in the Egyptian carrier calls unfriendly actions on the part of the EU. According to him, the opportunities to purchase aircraft are seriously limited due to sanctions, as leasing companies have rejected the airline's requests for leasing services without maintenance.

The press service of Rosaviatsia told Izvestia that the situation is under the agency's control. At the same time, the agency did not restrict the work of AlMasria Universal Airlines, they noted there.

Read more in Izvestia's exclusive story:

Here is Hurghada: AlMasria Airlines has reduced the flight program from Russia to the resorts of Egypt