Arabian airspace closure lifted
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) welcomed the announcement last week on the easing of Gulf airspace restrictions. Council president Salvatore Sciacchitano: "This resolution to the airspace restrictions will help assure that the important socio-economic benefits of international air connectivity can be better optimised among all the countries concerned."
On 5 June 2017, the Saudi government ordered the closure of its border with Qatar. This decision was followed by the closure of their airspace for Qatar-registered aircraft by Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, forcing Qatar Airways to fly longer routes.
The Icao secretariat established contingency routes to ensure the safety and regularity of international flights in and out of Qatar when the restrictions were first imposed. (ah)