Air ties between Moscow and Cairo might be restored from February 1, 2018, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation following a meeting of its director Sheriff Fathi with the Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov.

"As part of the visit to Moscow, the head of the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation recently met his Russian counterpart Maxim Sokolov, they signed an intergovernmental protocol on aviation security, the agreements reached will allow airlines from both countries to operate the Moscow - Cairo route,  starting from February 1 next year," the press service of Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation wrote on Facebook.

The message also states that airlines themselves can make decisions on the frequency of flights and the cost of air tickets, based on market conditions. In addition, the ministers agreed to hold the next meeting in April 2018 in order to resume air communication between Russia and Egyptian resorts.

Fathi and Sokolov signed a protocol in the field of aviation security, which will be the first step towards the renewal of aviation communications between the countries, the Ministry of Transport of Russia reported.

Russia suspended air communication with Egypt from November 6, 2015. The reason was a terrorist attack on board the plane of the Russian airline Kogalymavia, which crashed over the Sinai Peninsula. All 224 passengers and crew on board were killed. To resume air travel, Russia demanded that Egypt strengthen aviation security measures.