Germany lifted all restrictions on tourist flights to South Sinai, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The German decision crowned strenuous efforts by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin, the statement said.

For the first time since the Russian plane crash in Sinai in October 2015, the Federal Ministry of Transport lifted the condition obliging all German flights, including tourist ones, to fly at 26,000 feet altitude.

The decision allows direct flights to all South Sinai airports, including Sharm el Sheikh airport, without paying extra fees, the statement said.

This would boost German tourism to Egypt, the statement said, noting that Germany topped the list of tourism in Egypt as the number of German tourists in Egypt hit 655,000 in 2016.

Germany imposed the flight ban in November 2015.

Last May, Germany decided to ease the restrictions.

Source: MENA