Dubai
Etihad Airways said on Saturday it has “enhanced security measures in place” at Cairo airport, a day after partner airline Alitalia also introduced new security efforts at the airport.
Concerns over security standards at Egyptian airports have been raised after a Russian commercial plane crashed in the Sinai Peninsula shortly after take off from Sharm Al Shaikh airport on October 31. US and British officials have said a bomb on board the aircraft may have caused the disaster that killed all 224 on board.
“We have enhanced security measures in place in Cairo and continue to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft,” an Etihad spokesperson told Gulf News by email on Saturday. The spokesperson declined to elaborate on the security measures when contacted by phone.
On Friday, Italy’s Alitalia, in which Etihad holds a 49 per cent stake, said it had suspended freight and mail transport and would also not allow any luggage that was travelling without an owner on its flights from Cairo.
While Etihad has introduced new security measures, other Gulf airlines are operating as per normal.
Emirates told Gulf News it is “closely monitoring the situation” but its twice daily flights to “Cairo continue as usual” when asked if it had started new security procedures. Flydubai said its nine weekly flights to Alexandria in northern Egypt “are operating to schedule”.
Qatar Airways said it “does not comment on security” and Bahrain’s Gulf Air declined to say whether it had introduced new measures. But it did say “the airline implements strict security measures relating to any items onboard all of its flights”.
A number of Gulf airlines, include Emirates and Qatar Airways but not Etihad, said this week they were now avoiding flying over the Sinai following the Russian plane crash.
On Friday, the US Homeland Security Department announced new security efforts at airports in the Middle East but did not say which airports. Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority Director General, told Gulf News by phone on Saturday the UAE has not received any notices or request from the US to make security changes at Dubai or Abu Dhabi International airports.
