Big Airlines Suspend Flights after Russian Plane Crash

Debris from crashed Russian jet seen at the site of the crash in Sinai, Egypt, November 01, 2015. EPA/BGNES

Some of the biggest airlines in the world - Emirates, Lufthansa and Air France - decided to suspend flights over the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, after a Russian airplane crashed on Saturday leaving all 224 people on board dead.

Lufthansa and Air France were the first to take the measure, announcing hours after the incident  they would suspend flights over the region.

A day later, on November 1, the Dubai-based airline Emirates followed suit.

The companies explain the measures as preventive and will be enforced until there are any clarifications of the case.

“We took that decision because the situation and the reasons for the crash are unclear. We will avoid the region until there is a clarity on what prompted the crash,” said a spokesperson for Lufthansa.

The Airbus A-321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia, was conducting a scheduled flight between the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh and Saint Petersburg when it crashed minutes after taking off.

The investigation over the crash continues. The remains of the airplane are analyzed by Russian specialists who were sent to Egypt a day after the incident. Until any conclusions are made, Kogalymavia will not be able to conduct flights from Sinai Peninsula to any destination.

Meanwhile, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, announced a 3-day national mourning. According to the Russian information agency TASS, the accident is the deadliest in the history of Russian aviation.

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