Cairo International Airport has declared a state of extreme emergency after a bloody attack by unknown gunmen killed 16 Egyptian security officers near the border with Israel late Sunday.
Civil Aviation Minister Samir Imbaby has also decided to form an operations room to manage the state of alert and to open channels of communication with all ports.
During an urgent meeting early Monday, the minister ordered air travel leaders to assess the impact of the incident on aviation activities and authorized them to arrange alternate airports where flights could be redirected in case of emergency.
The Interior Ministry has also raised the alert for Cairo Airport security services. Police dogs and secret security forces have been deployed within airport premises, while checkpoints have been set up to block any suspicious people.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
