Helmy's remarks came at the end of a 7-day visit by a delegation from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to Cairo International Airport in which they inspected the security procedures used to secure passengers, bags, and goods at the airport, especially EgyptAir flights heading to the US. 

According to the statement, the minister said he appreciated the delegation's visit, culminating in the decision to resume EgyptAir cargo flights to the US.  

William Grinolds, the TSA attaché for government representation, praised the Egyptian side’s “commitment to implementing all security and insurance measures at Cairo International Airport and EgyptAir flights in accordance with the highest levels of international security and safety.”

The American delegation asserted that they were satisfied with the continuous efforts by the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) to increase the efficiency of security performance. 

They also praised the professionalism and competence displayed by the airport’s employees in handling emergencies.

In November 2015, Washington banned the shipment of goods on passenger planes after a bomb spirited aboard a Russian airliner, which had been en route from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh to St.Petersburg, brought it down in Sinai on 31 October, killing all 224 passengers on board.   

The agreement between Egypt and the United States on air transport goes back to 1964,  which makes it one of the oldest transport agreements currently in effect in the region.