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Latvia grounds flights to Egyptian resort on security concerns

Xinhua, November 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Latvian Civil Aviation Agency on Friday imposed an indefinite ban on flights to Egypt's Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh citing security concerns.

Latvia's airBaltic national carrier, which has suspended its regular commercial flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, will organize two special flights to the Egyptian seaside resort to bring home Latvian tourists.

An estimated 460 tourists from Latvia are currently vacationing in Sharm el-Sheikh.

AirBaltic vice-president for corporate communications Janis Vanags said on Friday that the airline was cancelling its scheduled flights to Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, suspending the route for security reasons.

Latvia is taking the precautions after Russia's Airbus A-321 jetliner with 224 people onboard crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31 in what some suspect was a terror attack. Endit