Qatari jets in hostile act
Manama : Qatari fighter jets flew close to two UAE-registered civilian aircraft passing through Bahrain, forcing the captain of one of the flights to alter course to avoid collision, the Civil Aviation Affairs said yesterday. The two Qatari warplanes were detected around 14.35 pm Monday, flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet above the international waters, within Bahrain Flight Information Region without prior authorisation.
The two fighters flew deliberately under a UAE Airbus 320, with ident/call sign of A6HMS, en route from Fujairah to Rome, prompting Bahrain’s Air Surveillance to intervene and take the necessary measures to ensure aviation safety.
The Emirati A320 jet then flew at a higher altitude of 35,000 feet to avoid the Qatari fighters, which consistently violate international conventions and jeopardise the movement of civil aviation in the region, particularly that such an irresponsible behaviour by Qatari fighter planes towards a UAE plane was the second on the same day.
In the statement, the Civil Aviation Affairs condemned the irresponsible act, announcing that the necessary measures have been taken to file complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The incident was also reported by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates, which warned of the dangers posed by the Qatari jets. It described the development as an infringement of Bahrain’s airspace. The decision showed disregard for the safety of flight plans of aircraft as notified to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, it said.
A statement that this act was preceded by two similar actions has been filed with the ICAO.
In the earlier incidents, Qatar fighter jets harassed UAE military aircraft on three occasions, while its airforce also intercepted two Emirati civilian airliners on January 15, which led the UAE to file a complaint at the UN.
Brig Gen Helal Al Qubaisi of the Armed Forces said a Qatari jet approached a UAE F-16 on December 27 last year. “They claim the aircraft violated Qatari airspace. It didn’t,” Gen Al Qubaisi said. “They jeopardised lives.”
The other two military incidents, on January 3 and January 12, involved a UAE Twin Otter aircraft and a C-130 cargo plane.
The UAE has lodged a complaint with the UN against Qatar after its jets intercepted two Emirati civilian aircraft while on routine flights to Bahrain.
The complaint was in the form of a note submitted to both the UN Security Council president and the UN General Assembly president. It said the interception was a threat to safety of the civil flights and a breach to the rules of international law, said state news agency Wam.
Both planes landed safely in the Bahraini capital and were able to complete their return flights without incident.
Bahrain, UAE condemn action
Manama/Abu Dhabi : Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemned the dangerous action by the Qatari fighters jets in the airspace of the Kingdom on Monday.
Bahrain affirmed its full support to all measures taken by the UAE to protect its rights, security and stability, in response to Qatar’s irresponsible actions towards civil air traffic, which follows specific civil routes known to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“This is a provocative action by Qatar and is a clear insistence on making light of the safety of civilian aircraft and air aviation,” the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said in a statement, strongly condemning the provocative action.
“The pilot of one of the planes had to conduct a manoeuvre to avoid collision with the Qatari fighter jets,” the GCAA said.
The GCAA said it condemned such irresponsible acts towards civilian air traffic that follow specific civilian routes, which are known to the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The authority stressed the UAE’s right to take all measures that are guaranteed by the international law.
Civilian flight paths will not change: UAE
Dubai : The United Arab Emirates will not change its civilian flight paths, the chairman of its General Civil Aviation Authority said yesterday, a day after Qatari fighter jets flew dangerously close to two of its civilian planes.
Asked if any changes would be made to civilian routes, Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansouri told Reuters: “We have no plans at the present time.”
The UAE called the incident a “provocative action”, and said it had already reported two similar events to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations’ aviation agency.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai, Mansouri said the UAE would now complain to the ICAO again.
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