Germany has removed the last restriction on the flow of tourist flights to and from Sharm el-Shaikh and South Sinai areas, thanks to the efforts of the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
The Federal Ministry of Transport in Germany issued an announcement exempting German airliners from the notice not fly below 26,000 feet when passing over the north of the Sinai Peninsula. This is a first for aviation services to Egypt since the downing of the Russian passenger jet over Sinai in 2015, a statement for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.
The statement said that the move would allow German airliners to fly directly to Sharm el-Shaikh airport without paying extra insurance fees.
The Foreign Ministry said this latest positive German decision came as a result of intense efforts by Shoukry personally, and by the Egyptian embassy in Berlin, to strengthen the flow of German tourists to Egypt.
The statement said the move comes in line with Germany’s positive stances towards the Egyptian tourism sector. It added that Germany topped the number of tourists visiting Egypt in 2016 with 655,000 tourists.
The removal of restrictions on tourist flights to South Sinai was among the main topics discussed by Shoukry during his recent visit to Berlin from January 11-13, and his meetings with the German ministers of transport, foreign, and interior.
