Metrojet Flight 9268

Kogalymavia (Metrojet)

Industry	Airline
Headquarters	Russia , Russia
Area served	International charter passenger service
Products	Passenger air transport
Owner	AerCap (owner of aircraft)

Metrojet Flight 9268 was an international charter passenger service operated by the Russian carrier Kogalymavia (Metrojet). On 31 October 2015, at 06:13 local time EST (04:13 UTC), the Airbus A321-231 disintegrated over the northern Sinai Peninsula shortly after departing from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Egypt, bound for Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 224 individuals on board, including passengers and crew, perished.

The manifest primarily consisted of tourists: 212 Russian nationals, four Ukrainians, one Belarusian, and seven crew members from Russia. Investigations suggested that an explosive device had been placed on the plane at Sharm El Sheikh with the intent to disrupt air traffic to the airport.

Responsibility for the incident was claimed shortly after by the Islamic State's Sinai Province (IS-SP), previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, amid the ongoing Sinai insurgency. IS-SP published images of the purported bomb in its digital magazine Dabiq.

By early November 2015, authorities from the United Kingdom and United States suspected a bomb caused the aircraft’s destruction. On 8 November, Egyptian officials indicated they were "90 percent sure" that an explosive device brought down the aircraft, though alternative explanations such as fuel tank explosion or structural fatigue were also examined. The Russian Federal Security Service confirmed a terrorist attack involving an improvised explosive device with a TNT equivalent of approximately . As of 2025, no definitive official investigation report has been released.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Airbus A321-231, serial number 663, bearing registration EI-ETJ. Manufactured in 1997, it had logged roughly 56,000 flight hours and completed about 21,000 cycles of takeoffs and landings.

On 16 November 2001, while operating Middle East Airlines Flight 304, this same aircraft experienced a significant tailstrike during its landing in Cairo, Egypt. After undergoing repairs, it returned to service within three months.

At the time of the accident, ownership belonged to AerCap based in Dublin, with leasing arrangements in place to Kolavia.

Passengers and crew

Onboard Individuals by Nationality
Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
Russia	212	7	219
Ukraine	4	0	4
Belarus	1	0	1
Total	217	7	224

Flight 9268 was transporting 217 passengers, among them 25 children, along with seven crew members. The captain, Valery Yurievich Nemov, had accumulated over 12,000 hours of flight experience, including approximately 3,800 on this aircraft model. The First Officer, Sergei Stanislavovich Trukhachev, possessed a total of 5,641 hours, with more than 1,300 hours on the same type of aircraft. The majority of those aboard were Russian nationals, including all crew members; additionally, the passenger list included one Belarusian and four Ukrainians. Most travelers were tourists returning from resorts along the Red Sea. Passengers predominantly originated from northwestern Russia, particularly Saint Petersburg and nearby areas. A significant number of children aboard were orphans left behind in Russia by parents.

Crash

Flight 9268 departed from Sharm El Sheikh at 05:50 EGY (03:50 UTC) on 31 October 2015 en route to Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, Russia, carrying seven crew members and 217 passengers. Communication with Cyprus Air Traffic Control was lost approximately twenty-three minutes into the flight. The Islamic State's Sinai branch claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane. Experts noted that IS seldom makes false claims regarding attacks. Russian news outlets reported that the pilot had indicated technical difficulties and requested an emergency landing before contact was lost; however, Egyptian authorities denied these claims and flight recorder data contradicted this narrative. According to the Egyptian Civilian Aviation Ministry, the aircraft vanished at an altitude of , following a rapid drop of within one minute. Data from Flightradar24 showed the plane ascending to at , then abruptly descending to at , roughly northeast of Nekhel, where tracking ceased. An onboard explosion caused the aircraft to break apart mid-flight and suffer uncontrolled decompression. All 224 occupants lost their lives.

Wreckage was dispersed over an area of , with the front section located about from the tail section, confirming that the aircraft disintegrated while airborne. Aerial images captured intact wings upon impact. The pattern of debris and sudden altitude shifts suggested that the tail separated during flight.

Response

Egyptian officials arrived at the crash location near Housna within several hours, deploying fifty ambulances to a site approximately from Sharm El Sheikh. Sources who wished to remain anonymous described the plane as having "split in two," with most victims found still fastened in their seats. Early reports mentioned hearing voices from passengers trapped inside a portion of the wreckage. By 1 November, authorities had recovered 163 bodies. The discovery of a child's remains roughly away from the main crash site reinforced conclusions about mid-air breakup, according to Russian investigator Viktor Sorochenko. He also highlighted that debris was scattered widely but stressed it was premature to identify the cause of the accident.

Investigation

Ayman al-Muqaddam, who leads Egypt's central authority for air traffic accident investigations, was assigned to oversee the crash inquiry. On 31 October, he revealed that the pilot had reached out to civil aviation officials to request permission for an emergency landing at the closest airport, potentially aiming for El Arish International Airport in northern Sinai. Contrarily, Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamel reported that recordings from air traffic control showed no emergency signals or deviations from the flight path. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi indicated that the investigation would require several months to complete. The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated to provide satellite imagery support.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations deployed three aircraft to the crash location, while the Investigative Committee of Russia launched a legal probe into Kogalymavia for alleged breaches of flight regulations. Personnel from both Kogalymavia and Brisco tour agency, which had arranged the charter flight, underwent questioning. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry committed to close collaboration with Russian investigators. Prior to departure, the airplane had successfully passed technical inspections, and surveillance footage from security cameras was examined. Russian prosecutors confirmed that the fuel quality complied with required standards.

International organizations such as France’s BEA, Germany’s BFU, and Ireland’s AAIU participated as representatives of the countries responsible for the aircraft’s design, manufacture, and registration. The BEA dispatched investigators accompanied by Airbus representatives to Egypt on 1 November, joining teams from the BFU and Russian Interstate Aviation Committee.

Both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were retrieved on 1 November. Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov headed a delegation supporting Egyptian authorities in their investigation. By 4 November, Egypt announced that although the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) suffered partial damage, it captured normal cockpit sounds until an abrupt loud noise occurred shortly before recording ceased.

An unnamed source indicated that the tail section had detached and was ablaze, implying an explosion took place. A US infrared satellite detected a heat flash at the crash site and time consistent with an internal explosion rather than a missile strike. Initial US intelligence found no direct proof of terrorism. Meanwhile, UK media outlets referenced theories involving an ISIL-placed bomb.

Within a week, British intelligence suggested that an explosive device likely caused the crash. UK aviation specialists reviewed airport security measures; Prime Minister David Cameron’s emergency response committee evaluated emerging evidence. The BBC reported intercepted communications among Sinai militants pointing to a bomb concealed in the aircraft’s hold before takeoff. The possibility of mechanical failure was increasingly discounted.

The United Kingdom suspended flights to and from Sharm El Sheikh airport, leaving many tourists stranded. British officials expressed skepticism regarding Egyptian airport security protocols. Security analysts ruled out external missile attacks due to the absence of suitable weaponry in Sinai.

French BEA experts analyzed the CVR; its sudden termination aligned with an explosion scenario. On 8 November, an Egyptian investigator conveyed approximately 90% certainty that a bomb caused the incident based on CVR data but acknowledged alternative explanations such as overheating lithium batteries or fuel tank explosions still required exclusion.

On 17 November 2015, Russian security chief Alexander Bortnikov declared that a "terrorist act" was responsible for the crash after spectral analysis detected explosive residue. An improvised explosive device equivalent to up to one kilogram of TNT was identified. Russia announced a US$50 million reward for information leading to those responsible. Reports surfaced alleging two Sharm El Sheikh airport employees were detained on suspicion of involvement; however, Egyptian authorities denied these claims.

On 18 November 2015, ISIL released images claiming responsibility for the attack and detailed an improvised explosive device hidden inside a Schweppes soda can. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attributed culpability to ISIL’s Sinai affiliate.

Egypt’s investigative committee issued a preliminary report on 14 December 2015 stating there was "no evidence" indicating terrorism or unlawful interference; nonetheless, Russian officials maintained their position that it constituted a terrorist attack.

In January 2016, Reuters disclosed that an EgyptAir mechanic suspected of planting the bomb—allegedly supplied by a relative affiliated with IS—was detained; two police officers and a baggage handler were also held but faced no charges.

On 24 February 2016, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi publicly acknowledged terrorism as the cause of the crash, emphasizing its negative effects on tourism and bilateral relations between Russia and Egypt.

Abu Osama al-Masri, leader of ISIL’s Sinai Province and a key suspect in connection with the attack, was killed during a targeted airstrike against an Islamic State site in June 2018.

Tailstrike and Maintenance Considerations

While airline representatives have dismissed mechanical failure as a cause, investigators have yet to definitively exclude it. In an interview, Natalya Trukhacheva, former spouse of co-pilot Sergei Trukhachev, revealed that he had expressed concerns about the plane's technical state prior to departure.

The aircraft had previously experienced a tailstrike during a landing in Cairo fourteen years earlier. This incident has drawn parallels to Japan Air Lines Flight 123, which crashed years after a tailstrike due to inadequate repairs that weakened the rear pressure bulkhead, leading to metal fatigue and catastrophic decompression. Examination of Flight 9268’s debris revealed a distinct fracture near the rear pressure bulkhead, indicating potential structural failure.

On 2 November, Metrojet spokesperson Alexander Smirnov confirmed that the aircraft was fully certified and that the crew held valid qualifications from 2014. He also stated that the tailstrike damage had been properly repaired and that the engines underwent inspection just five days before the accident.

Missile Theory

A report in the UK newspaper The Guardian considered a missile strike improbable, although some airlines avoided Sinai airspace during the investigation period. On 2 November, Metrojet’s Alexander Smirnov ruled out mechanical malfunction and pilot error, attributing the disaster to an "external force." ISIL’s Wilayah Sinai claimed responsibility, citing retaliation for Russian military actions in Syria. Nevertheless, Wilayah Sinai reportedly lacked surface-to-air missile capabilities sufficient to reach high-flying aircraft, suggesting that an onboard explosive device could be responsible.

Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov dismissed these allegations as "fabrications," emphasizing the absence of supporting evidence from Egyptian aviation authorities, security agencies, or air traffic control data. U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper noted no evidence of terrorism but did not exclude it entirely. A source involved in analyzing flight data believed there was no external impact on the plane and highlighted that no distress call was made before radar contact was lost, based on preliminary flight recorder analysis.

Impact on Air Traffic

All flights originating from Sharm El Sheikh bound for the United Kingdom were postponed as a safety precaution pending security evaluations. Airlines such as Emirates, Lufthansa, and Air France–KLM avoided overflying the Sinai region until further clarity on the crash emerged. The US Federal Aviation Administration and Germany's Luftfahrt-Bundesamt instructed carriers to maintain flight levels above FL260 when traversing Sinai airspace. Additionally, Air Arabia, Flydubai, and British Airways suspended flights over Sinai; EasyJet initially continued operations but later reassessed and offered customers options for rebooking or vouchers.

On 4 November, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommended limiting travel to Sharm El Sheikh to essential purposes only, resulting in cancellation of all UK flights to the area. The Irish Aviation Authority followed suit by prohibiting Irish airlines from flying to or over Sinai until further notice. These measures reflected close coordination between British and Irish security agencies.

By 5 November, Air France-KLM implemented a ban on checked baggage for flights departing Cairo; more than half of booked passengers opted not to travel. Approximately 20,000 British tourists found themselves stranded in Sharm El Sheikh due to flight cancellations. Operations resumed on 6 November with tightened security protocols—initially allowing only carry-on luggage while subjecting checked bags to more rigorous screening procedures. British officials enhanced airport security presence and provided necessary safety clearances.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a full suspension of Russian flights to Egypt on 6 November. Most UK carriers conducted repatriation flights for marooned tourists; however, Egyptian authorities restricted departures because of terminal congestion, causing some flights to divert or return mid-flight.

By 8 November, roughly 11,000 Russian and 5,300 British tourists had been returned home. On 9 November, British airlines extended their suspension of Sharm El Sheikh flights until at least 25 November. The UK government and Emirates Airlines suggested that airport security standards throughout the Middle East might undergo substantial revisions following this event. By mid-November, around 16,000 British travelers had been repatriated since suspensions began.

Aftermath

Following the bombing of Flight 9268 and worsening security conditions in Egypt, Metrojet declared bankruptcy in March 2016 as passenger traffic sharply declined.

Flights between Moscow and Cairo operated by Aeroflot and EgyptAir recommenced by April 2018, with additional Egyptian destinations reopening to air traffic in August 2021.

Airport authorities worldwide intensified security screening procedures for personnel. Around 70 staff members were stripped of their access to secure zones at Paris’s Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports due to suspected extremist associations.

Russia

On 1 November 2015, all Kogalymavia A321 aircraft were grounded by the Russian government. The transport oversight body Rostransnadzor suspended A321 flights pending investigation into the crash’s cause.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, confirmed embassy participation in the emergency response. President Putin declared a national day of mourning on 1 November.

Soviet and Russian journalist Dmitry Kiselyov controversially suggested the crash resulted from a covert alliance between the US and ISIL.

Initially, Russian authorities dismissed any terrorist involvement or links to Russia’s Syrian military intervention. However, on 17 November, Russia’s security chief acknowledged the incident as an act of terrorism. The government announced a $50 million reward for information leading to those responsible.

Egypt

Within hours of the tragedy, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and several ministers flew by private jet to the crash location, as reported by the Tourism Ministry.

Ireland

As the country where the aircraft was registered, the Republic of Ireland extended support, which was accepted by Egyptian officials. The Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) dispatched a team comprising an Operations/Pilot Inspector, Engineering Inspector, and Regulatory/Operations Adviser from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). They traveled on an Irish military plane on 2 November.

Israel

Israel, sharing a border with the Sinai Peninsula, offered surveillance assistance to Russia and Egypt if required; it remains unclear whether this offer was utilized.

Ukraine

During a 2018 trade mission to Cairo, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin addressed the bombing and its consequences.

United Kingdom

On 4 November, British intelligence agencies joined investigative efforts. The UK government increased consular presence and deployed military planners to Egypt. Egyptian President al-Sisi met with then British Prime Minister Cameron in London where they agreed on strengthened security protocols at Sharm El Sheikh airport. Cameron and Russian President Putin also discussed ongoing inquiries. On 5 November, diplomatic personnel including embassy staff and FCO Rapid Deployment Teams were sent to assist British citizens at Sharm El Sheikh airport.

Within one week after the crash, the UK imposed a flight ban to Sharm El-Sheikh airport that remained until October 2019. By November 2017, travel advice recommended only essential visits to South Sinai outside the Sharm el Sheikh perimeter barrier encompassing key tourist zones and the airport. Despite other nations continuing flights, the UK sustained its advisory cautioning travelers about Sharm el Sheikh.

United States

On 5 November, US President Barack Obama conveyed that the US administration was treating the event with utmost seriousness and acknowledged the likelihood of an explosive device being present on the aircraft.

Charlie Hebdo

The French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo released cartoons on 6 November related to the incident, including one illustrating wreckage falling onto an ISIL militant, accompanied by the phrase: "Russia's air force escalates its bombing." This depiction sparked outrage in Russia; a representative for President Vladimir Putin labeled it as "sacrilege," while members of the State Duma called for the magazine to be prohibited as extremist material and demanded a formal apology from the French government.

See also

• Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A320 family
• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
• List of massacres in Egypt
• Timeline of airliner bombing attacks

External links

• Accident record
• Информация по рейсу 7К-9268 – Archived Metrojet crisis page on Flight 9268
• А-321 EI-ETJ 31.10.2015 – Interstate Aviation Committee investigation
• Information from the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation
  • Interim statement
• Crisis – Airbus page about the incident
• Accident in the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt) – BEA
• EI-ETJ Aircraft info and flight history – Flightradar24
• List of passengers