Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt has won praise from the board of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for its air navigation safety measures, said a Saudi Press Agency report, citing a top official.

 

Mohammed Rahma, the ICAO director of the Middle East regional office, said that in direct co-operation with the countries that announced severing their relations with Qatar, office staff activated at 8.30am on June 5 the contingency plan set forth in Annex XI to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944).

 

He was speaking at the informal session held yesterday (June 30) in which the Secretariat General of the ICAO presented updated information about the safety of the skies over the Arabian Gulf.

 

In response to a question from a board member, the director of the 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, stated the report. 

 

The Regional Bureau will hold a meeting on July 6 in Cairo with representatives of the countries that have cut ties with Qatar to discuss any new demands from Qatar regarding the opening of new air routes over the international waters in the Gulf, stated the SPA report.

 

A number of international representatives commended the efforts being exerted by the countries and the Secretariat General of the ICAO, especially the staff of the Middle East Regional Office, and requested continuing co-operation between the Regional Office, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain to ensure safety over international waters in the Arabian Gulf, it added.