The Chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority Abdullah bin Nasser Turki al-Subaey has refuted UAE’s allegations that Qatari fighters intercepted its civilian aircraft.
Addressing the Council of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Thursday at a special session to consider the complaint filed by the UAE against Qatar, al-Subaey pointed out that the air navigation service provider in Bahrain is fully responsible for not taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of civil aviation, maintain Qatar's sovereignty and airspace, and prevent repeated UAE provocations.
The session began with a presentation made by the UAE delegation, in which they claimed that Qatari fighter jets had intercepted UAE civilian aircraft more than once. The UAE has requested the activation of Article 54/N of the Chicago Convention.
Following al-Subaey's speech, Qatari technicians from the country’s delegation, who are well known for their competence and professionalism, gave a detailed presentation of UAE's violations of Qatari airspace.
During the presentation, they confirmed Qatar's commitment to the highest standards of air safety and security. They also proved to the ICAO Council that Bahrain recently allowed UAE military aircraft to violate the sovereignty of Qatar and did not comply with the requirements of Qatar outlined in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), which is a clear provocation and lack of professionalism in the provision of air navigation services.
After hearing the presentations, the Council opened the discussion to all members, who have provided interventions and queries.
The members of the ICAO Council stressed the importance of supporting the request of Qatar on the need for co-ordination, co-operation, communication and provision of information necessary to ensure the security and safety of civil aviation.
The Council then decided that all parties should abide by the highest standards of security and safety, stressing the need for full co-ordination between the Contracting States of the 1944 Chicago Convention and its annexes.
The Chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority affirmed that since the beginning of the siege imposed on it, Qatar has fully complied with all agreements relating to civil aviation, including the Chicago Convention 1944. He pointed out that Qatar did not adopt the same logic while dealing with the siege countries, and did not close its airspace to their civilian aircraft.
He further praised the role played by the ICAO in maintaining the security, safety and efficiency of civil aviation in the Gulf region.
He thanked the Council for assuming all its responsibilities for the safety and security of civil aviation, expressing hope that ICAO would continue to support the civil aviation industry in the region and urge the siege countries to comply with the Chicago Convention of 1944 and its annexes, in addition to other international conventions in the field of civil aviation.
