President makes 1st visit since plane crash
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — The Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, made an unannounced, and somewhat belated, visit to this seaside town Wednesday, saying he was here to “reassure people” after a Russian plane that took off from the local airport broke apart in midair over the Sinai Peninsula late last month.
The visit was el-Sissi’s first to Sharm el-Sheikh since the crash on Oct. 31, and came as his government has faced criticism for failing to release information about the Egyptian-led investigation and for downplaying the possibility that the plane was brought down by a bomb. The plane, a Metrojet Airbus A321200, crashed shortly after it left Sharm el-Sheikh bound for St. Petersburg, Russia, killing all 224 people on board.
British and American officials have expressed growing confidence that the cause of the crash was an explosive device that was somehow brought aboard, leading several countries to stop flights to Sharm el-Sheikh over security concerns. Thousands of tourists have left the resort, including Russian and British tourists, who make up the majority of the visitors here.
State television footage showed el-Sissi smiling as he walked through the crowded departure terminal Wednesday. He reiterated his government’s position that any conclusions about the cause of the crash were premature before the investigation had been carried out.
“We will announce the results with absolute transparency and clarity,” he said. “We will not hide anything.”
“Anyone who is present here on our land should be safe and stable,” he added. “They should arrive safely and leave safely and securely.”
Tourism in Egypt has been devastated by years of political turmoil, with the loss of visitors depriving the government of a crucial source of foreign currency. Sharm elSheikh had been an exception, attracting millions of tourists from Russia and Europe lured by the beaches, cheap holiday packages and direct charter flights.
Russia suspended all flights to Egypt last week, a severe blow for the tourism industry during the peak season for Russian visitors. A senior Russian official said Tuesday that it could take at least several months before flights resume. Britain and Ireland have suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh.
Tourism bookings in Sharm el-Sheikh have plunged, officials said Wednesday.
Some 80 percent of reservations have been canceled and at least 40 percent of tourists have left the Egyptian resort since the crash, said Hussein Fawzy, head of the region’s chamber of tourist facilities.
“They are not going to come back again. We will have nothing but a few Ukrainians and Belarusians,” he said by telephone.
Also Wednesday, a Russian search and rescue team that was brought to Egypt after the crash flew home to Moscow. The team of 48 had been recovering bodies at the crash site, some 44 miles south of the peninsula’s northern city of el-Arish.