Updated

Egyptian officials say they will soon announce a tender for a new security system for Cairo airport employees involving retina scans, attempting to meet a key Russian condition to resume flights to Egypt.

They say Egypt has met most of Russia's security recommendations at the airport, where some 20,000 people work. It will be several months before the retina scan system is in place.

A visit last week by Russia's transport minister raised hopes that Moscow was about to resume flights to Egypt, suspended last year when a Russian airliner crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board. The suspension dealt a blow to Egypt's vital tourism sector.

The civil aviation officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.