CAIRO: The decision to avoid flying through Sinai airspace following a Saturday crash by Lufthansa and Air France is “irresponsible,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shokry stated in a Sunday interview with Algerian television.
Airlines who take this decision are responsible for any damages to the tourism sector, Shokry said, adding that the action “serves the goal of terrorist organizations.”
“We took the decision to avoid the area because the situation and the reasons for the crash were not clear,” a Lufthansa spokeswoman told Reuters, adding “We will continue to avoid the area until it is clear what caused the crash.”
What is known is that the flight took off, but lost radio contact 23 minutes later. Egyptian aviation experts say the plan was too high to have been targeted by any missile or bomb, although a Sinai-based militant group did post on social media that it had downed the plane in retribution for Russian airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State group.
Judicial sources in Egypt told Reuters that Egyptian and Russian investigators will inspect the black boxes of the plane Sunday in the headquarters of the Civil Aviation Ministry in Cairo.
Egypt’s Attorney-General decreed Sunday that the crash site is a restricted area until the end of investigations.
Russia filed a criminal lawsuit against airline Kogalymavia after its Airbus A-321 plane crashed in Sinai, killing all its 224 passengers and crew, several Russian news agencies reported.
Further, the wife of the co-pilot of the jet, which was travelling from Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia, said that he complained about the plane’s condition, according to a Russian channel NTV.
Meanwhile, judicial sources in Egypt told Reuters that Egyptian and Russian investigators will inspect the black boxes of the plane Sunday in the headquarters of the Civil Aviation Ministry in Cairo.
Egypt’s Attorney-General decreed Sunday that the crash site is a restricted area until the end of investigations.
Russia filed a criminal lawsuit against airline Kogalymavia after its Airbus A-321 plane crashed in Sinai, killing all its 224 passengers and crew, several Russian news agencies reported.
Further, the wife of the co-pilot of the jet, which was travelling from Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia, said that he complained about the plane’s condition, according to a Russian channel NTV.