CAIRO (AP) — The latest on the crash of a Russian plane in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula over a week ago that killed all 224 people onboard. (All times local.)
2:10 p.m.
A team from the International Civil Aviation Organization is inspecting Cairo’s international airport. The checks are expected to include security and baggage handling, both of which have come under scrutiny in the aftermath of the Russian airline disaster over a week ago.
Monday’s visit was scheduled before the Oct. 31 crash in the Sinai Peninsula that killed all 224 people onboard the Russian Metrojet Airbus A321.
The Islamic State group in Sinai has claimed downing the plane, while U.S. and British officials say it was likely brought down by a bomb on board.
The inspection is to end on Thursday. The ICAO is a U.N. specialized agency that aims to support a safe and secure civil aviation sector.
___
1:30 p.m.
Russia’s deputy prime minister says it will take about two weeks to bring all the stranded Russian tourists back home from Egypt.
Arkady Dvorkovich, who has been made the point-man for the repatriation in the wake of the Russian plane crash in Sinai, said on Monday that 25,000 have already been brought back home since the weekend.
Russia on Friday suspended all flights to Egypt in the aftermath of the Oct. 31 crash.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he does not expect flights to Egypt to resume any time soon, saying that “it will take time” to ensure safety of travelers in Egypt. He stopped short of giving a timeline for that.
___
11:30 a.m.
Russian news agencies are quoting Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russian Travel Agencies Association, as saying the number of Russian tourists brought home from Egypt is likely to reach 23,000 by mid-day.
Their returns come after last week’s announcement that Russia was suspending new passenger flights to Egypt because of security concerns in the aftermath of the Oct. 31 plane crash. Dozens of airliners have been bringing Russian tourists back home, carrying only cabin baggage, while Russian cargo planes are hauling back the rest of their luggage.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement that the authorities will also be bringing over 130 tons of the tourists’ luggage on four cargo planes on Monday.
___
10:25 a.m.
At the biennial airshow in Dubai, Airbus officials say the company is confident in the safety of its A321 aircraft, including the plane that crashed in Egypt.
Airbus Chief Operating Officer for Customers John Leahy told reporters on Monday that he is “very confident in the A321’s safety record and the safety of the design.”
Vice President of Communications at Airbus Stefan Schaffrath rejected suggestions the aircraft itself was faulty.
The passenger jet, operated by Russia’s Metrojet, crashed on Oct. 31, nearly 30 minutes after takeoff from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, heading to St. Petersburg.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the Dubai airshow is every two years, not every year.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.