The Egypt government on Sunday announced it is going to reopen all its airports for scheduled international traffic starting July 1, reported Reuters. The regular commercial flight operations were suspended in March as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Egypt’s Civil Aviation Minister, Mohamed Manar Anba, told a news conference that flights would resume gradually at the airports beginning next month.
Last week, the government had announced that it would reopen Egypt’s main seaside resorts for international flights and foreign tourists from July 1.
Mr. Anba said foreign tourism would be limited to resorts in three coastal provinces with the least COVID-19 infections, namely South Sinai, the Red Sea and Matrouh. The civil aviation minister also outlined measures to be taken inside planes, at airports and in hotels to help to ensure the health and safety of foreign tourists.
“All planes have been comprehensively sterilized and only dry meals and canned beverages will be offered,” the civil aviation minister said during the joint press conference with the ministers of tourism and information.
He added that passengers arriving from states where COVID-19 is highly spread according to the WHO’s figures will have to submit results of the PCR test. The airline will provide only dry meals and canned drinks to the passengers, while paper publications like magazines and newspapers will not be allowed onboard.
The ministers noted that all precautionary measures for the resumption of international flights and tourism are coordinated with the health ministry.
Egypt has reportedly adopted a coexistence plan that imposes anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming services, businesses and economic activities.
The country has already started gradual reopening of services and offices, and recently allowed operation of over 230 hotels for local tourists with 50-percent capacity after they were given hygiene safety certificates.
Egypt, a nation of about 100 million people, has so far registered 42,980 COVID-19 cases, including 1,484 deaths and 11,529 recoveries.
