No limitations on foreign carriers: Gulf nations clarify

Officials representing UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt visited the headquarters of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in Montreal, Canada.

The delegation included Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Saudi Transportation Minister Suleiman bin Abdulla Al-Hemdan, Saif Al-Suweidi, Chairman UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) Chairman Hani Al-Adawi.

Qatar asked the ICAO to intervene after its Gulf neighbors closed their airspace to Qatar flights last week as part of economic sanctions.

The ICAO, which regulates international air travel under the Chicago Convention, brought together transport ministers and aviation officials from the Gulf states and Egypt at its headquarters to help resolve the dispute, Bahrain News Agency reported.
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The delegation met ICAO President Dr. Bernard Benard Aliu, Secretary-General Fang Liu and other ICAO directors and representatives of member countries. They explained to them that the measures which were taken by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt were in line with the decisions taken by their governments.

The four Gulf states affirmed that no limitations were imposed on international airways, except carriers owned or registered in Qatar.

The delegation defended the legality of the measures which stemmed from their countries' inalienable sovereignty, as stipulated in the international law and in compliance with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Security Council resolutions 2309 and 1373 on combating terrorism.

The delegation affirmed full respect for the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as Chicago Convention-1944) and all related annexes.

The delegation answered the ICAO queries and debunked all Qatari allegations and attempts to misinform the organisations about the situation by supplying the ICAO board members and general-secretariat with incorrect information.

The delegation debunked the claims, using maps and accurate data, which show the movement of Qatari planes in the international navigation corridors and the airspace of other countries.

The delegation welcomed cooperation with ICAO to serve its objectives and consolidate the security and safety of the international air navigation.

The delegation affirmed determination to exercise sovereign right - as stipulated by the international law - to protect the airspace of the four countries from any threats.

Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia said that the rift was a bigger political issue than airspace rights and could not be resolved at the UN's aviation agency, according to a source familiar with talks.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran. The UAE has also decided to blacklist Qatari individuals and entities.

Source: Khaleej Times