Metrojet Airbus A321 - Kolavia EI-ETJ: plane crash Egypt

[sn26567]

I really wonder what you smoke sometimes...

Two weeks ago, I was in Bolivia, where the culture of coca is legal (but, to be sure, not the manufacture of cocaine). And the guide offered all of us to chew coca leaves!

[convair]

I think the Pope was offered some in July!

[galaxy]

I really wonder what you smoke sometimes...

Two weeks ago, I was in Bolivia, where the culture of coca is legal (but, to be sure, not the manufacture of cocaine). And the guide offered all of us to chew coca leaves!

Also coca tea ( mate de coca ) is very popular and high recommended to treat altitude sickness
http://www.inkanat.com/en/infohealth/mate-coca-tea.html

[Flanker2]

I think the Pope was offered some in July!

...and Angela Merkel and her European colleagues too.

[Poiu]

It has taken them some time to admit the evidence. And what did they believe? That ISIS would not target Russia because it is Russia?

When did the evidence become available?
Secret services had strong indications, but evidence only became available after traces of explosives were found on the wreckage.

[sn26567]

About 760 tonnes of Russian tourists’ luggage delivered from Egypt

In the past 24 hours one plane has delivered to the Russian Federation luggage of passengers of 12 flights (U6 3040, IK 1968, N4 5994, R2 5913, R2 3796, N4 5926, Y7 7602, R2 3796, ZF 9728, N4 1924, ZF 9706, R2 5913).

33 flights (including 14 flights of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, 15 flights of the Russian Ministry of Defense and 4 flights of Volga-Dnepr Airlines) have delivered from Egypt almost 760 tonnes of belongings of tourists who left Egypt earlier by 396 transit flights since the moment Russia suspended flights to Egypt.

10 planes are transporting the luggage (9 IL-76 and an An-124) of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, Ministry of Defense and Volga-Dnepr Airlines.

1 plane carrying luggage of passengers of 10 flights is expected to arrive today from Hurghada.

The return of luggage from Egypt is under control at the Emergencies Ministry National Crisis Management Center.

All the luggage will be unloaded and sorted out by Vnukovo and Domodedovo airport land services and will stay in storage in special places until it is distributed and transported in regions.

The luggage is distributed at Moscow airports and the transit luggage is transported by regular flights to regions of Russia.

The passengers are going to be informed about the arrival of their luggage by the services of the airport of destination. The tourists should expect being notified by phone or text messages. It is not recommended to claim luggage without notification.

Joint working groups of employees of consulate office of the Russian Embassy in Cairo, Russian Emergencies Ministry and Russian Tourism Agency continue working at the airports in Egypt. Contact phones: + 20 122 255 23 47 (Sharm el-Sheikh), +20 122 071 16 65 (Hurghada), +201111336595 (Cairo).

Tourists are returning from Egypt as scheduled in accordance with tickets purchased previously.

The Russian Transport Ministry is asking the tourists who have returned from Egypt to take their luggage within three days since they were notified by the airport services. If passengers are unable to do that within the said time, all marked luggage will be handed over to the Post of Russia so that it can deliver it to the passenger’s address.

Comprehensive task forces consisting of specialists of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, Ministry of Health, psychologists, representatives of tour operators and insurance companies are working in Russian airports that operate flights to Egypt. Passengers arriving at the airports from other regions are provided with everything needed, meals, accommodation in hotels, medical, psychological and informational assistance. Particular attention is being paid to elderly people and passengers with children.

Source: Russian Aviation

[Passenger]

Arke (now TUI Netherlands) has cancelled all departures to Sharm el Sheihk till 31 March 2016. Reason: no bookings.

(source: Dutch media)

[sn26567]

Arke (now TUI Netherlands) has cancelled all departures to Sharm el Sheihk till 31 March 2016. Reason: no bookings.

British Airways and easyJet did the same until end of January. The British are (or rather were) the main tourists in Sharm el-Sheikh, together with the Russians. The hotels over there must be feeling the pinch!

[sn26567]

Russia completes genetic examination of A321 plane crash victims

The genetic examination of the remains of those killed in the Russian A321 airliner crash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has been completed.

A Moscow-based forensic medical examination center has carried out the major effort on verifying the genetic material and molecular-genetic identification.

The relatives of the victims will be invited by the Russian investigators to familiarize themselves with the materials of the probe and sign documents for burying the remains.

Most passengers were Russian nationals. Among the passengers onboard were also four Ukrainian citizens and one Belarusian national.

Full article from Russian Aviation: http://www.ruaviation.com/news/2015/12/4/4194/

[sn26567]

Russian airline seeks compensation from Egypt after A321 jet crash

Russia’s Kogalymavia airline plans to demand compensation from Egypt’s authorities over the crash of its Airbus A321 passenger jet over the Sinai Peninsula caused by a terrorist attack in late October, the Forbes magazine reported on Monday (7 Dec).

Businessman Ismail Lepiyev, who owns the TH&C tourist holding that includes Kogalymavia (brand name Metrojet), said in the interview the airline plans to reach an agreement with Cairo on compensations without filing any lawsuits.

The airline expects Egypt to declare the official results of the investigation, the businessman added. Kogalymavia also plans to increase the aircraft fleet from four to eight planes and develop regular flights besides the charter programs.

On December 3, Russia’s transport watchdog Rostransnadzor found no violations in the activity of the airline.

Source: Russian Aviation

[sn26567]

Metrojet suspended all remaining operations

On 5 December 2015, Metrojet suspended all remaining operations after a severe decrease of passengers due to the aforementioned incident and the security situation at its primary leisure destinations in Egypt. It announced to review all operations and might resume services in summer 2016.

Russian charter carrier Kogalymavia, which operates under Metrojet brand-name, has suspended its flight programs due to bans on air connection with Egypt and charter flights to Turkey, the two destinations that generated the bulk of the airline’s business, Vedomosti daily reports. The airline made its last flight on November, 20.

Source: Russian Aviation

[sn26567]

Jetairfly and Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium are now suspending their flights to Sharm el-Sheikh until the end of March 2016.

[sn26567]

Egypt contradicts Russian bomb theory on Metrojet crash

Egyptian investigators for the Metrojet Airbus A321 crash say it has not received “information indicating unlawful interference” or a “terrorist act” in the Oct. 31 crash, contradicting statements made by Russia’s Federal Security Police in mid-November that “a self-made explosive device equivalent of up to 1 kg of TNT” had been set off on board.

A catastrophic mechanical problem is highly likely, given that the tail section of the Airbus came to rest in a separate location from the remainder of the fuselage after a rapid descent from 31,000 ft. as the aircraft climbed out from the Sharm El-Sheikh airport on a flight to St. Petersburg, Russia. A bomb, fuel tank explosion or structural failure caused by a potentially flawed repair after a 2001 tail strike have all been raised as possible scenarios. In the aftermath of the crash, Russia terminated service to the area, while the UK halted flights to Sharm in particular.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation submitted its preliminary report on Dec. 14 privately to ICAO and other parties to the investigation.

In the statements, the Egyptian government said a team of metallurgy specials had examined the wreckage, which in some cases was approximately 9 nm. from the main crash site. It also said that photo documentation included 3D techniques. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder had already been recovered.

Full story on ATW online: http://atwonline.com/safety/egypt-contr ... ojet-crash

[sn26567]

FSB Chief says 'Entities' allegedly related to A321 crash discovered

Certain structures, which may be related to the crash of the Russian A321 over the Sinai peninsula, have been identified, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) head Alexander Bortnikov said Thursday.

"You know, work [on this matter] is underway. So far, I am unable to tell you anything specific. We have determined the approximate origin of the entities that may be related to this [the A321 incident]," Bortnikov told reporters.

He added that the FSB was unable to find the people who may have been responsible for the Russian plane crash.

Source: Russian Aviation

[sn26567]

Russian, Egyptian investigators to cooperate in establishing A321 crash causes

Russian and Egyptian investigators have agreed to cooperate in establishing the causes of an A321 Russian airliner crash over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, 2015, Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Russian Investigation Committee, told TASS after a working meeting between Investigation Committee Chief Alexander Bastrykin and Egypt’s Chief Prosecutor Nabil Sadek.

The sides discussed possible interaction in establishing the causes of the A321 plane crash in which more than 217 Russian citizens died as well as the course of investigations pursued by the Russian Investigation Committee and Egypt’s competent bodies.

"The heads of the two agencies agreed on the need to develop bilateral cooperation on this issue, including prompt information exchanges and the stepping up of direct contacts between Russian and Egyptian investigators and experts in a prescribed manner," Markin said.

The sides said the results of the joint investigation would be important for strengthening reciprocal relations between Russia and Egypt in the provision of national security. Alexander Bastrykin and Nabil Sadek discussed a possibility of concluding a bilateral agreement with an aim to strengthen contacts and raise the efficiency of cooperation on questions of mutual interest.

Egypt’s Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathi and Egypt’s ambassador to Russia were present at the Russian-Egyptian talks, Markin said.

Source: Russian Aviation

[TLspotting]

Metrojet and Prince Group have filed lawsuits against the Egyptian authorities for compensation of direct damage as a result of the terrorist attack on board the A321 in October 2015 and the loss of investment in the economy of Egypt.