CAIRO: Egypt has hired global consultancy Control Risks to review security at its airports following the crash of a plane carrying Russian holidaymakers over the Sinai Peninsula.

The security review, announced at a news conference by Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou, Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal and Control Risks regional chief executive Andreas Carleton Smith, is part of an effort to restore confidence and revive tourism, a key foreign currency earner for Egypt.

“Ensuring safe and secure flights for everyone traveling to Egypt whether for business or pleasure, is a top priority of the Egyptian government. This is why we have taken immediate actions to ensure we possess a world-class, gold standard security,” Zaazou said.

Zaazou said London-based Control Risks would begin with assessments of security at Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh, which receive high numbers of foreign travelers, but would also review security at other Egyptian airports. The disaster has cost Egypt about 2.2 billion Egyptian pounds ($280.97 million) a month in direct losses and Zaazou told Reuters this month he sees this year’s tourism receipts falling 10 percent on last year as a result.

Egypt earned about $7.2 billion in tourism revenues last year, still a far cry from around $12.5 billion before the 2011 uprising, which ushered in a period of political instability that scared away tourists and foreign investors.

The home of the Giza Pyramids and other Pharaonic wonders and pristine beaches had been working to restore confidence, and was about to launch a new tourism marketing campaign, when the Russian plane crash took place.

Kamal said the aviation sector alone contributes to 1.2 percent of gross domestic product. Control Risks has operated in the Middle East and North Africa for 15 years and has offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.