ICAO To Discuss Qatar’s Demand Of New Air Routes Over The Gulf

The international Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is expected to meet on July 6 in Cairo with representatives of the countries that have cut ties with Qatar to discuss demands from Qatar regarding the opening of new air routes over the international waters in the Gulf, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Board of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) held an informal session yesterday in which the Secretariat General of the ICAO presented updated information about the safety of the skies over the Arabian Gulf.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Director of the Middle East Regional Office, Mohammed Rahma, said that the ICAO regional office activated at 8:30 am on 5th June the contingency plan set forth in Annex XI to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944).

The Director of ICAO’s Air Navigation Bureau, Steve Kramer, said that the General Secretariat of the ICAO has no concerns about the safety of the skies over the international waters in the Gulf, as the boycotting states possess modern navigation devices and abilities covering all international airspace over the Arabian Gulf, the SPA reported.

Qatar has taken up the issue of air blockade of the tiny gulf state with ICAO but so far the international aviation body has not commented on it.