The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said it is committed to its decision to prevent all Qatari airlines and aircraft registered in the State of Qatar from landing at the Kingdom airports or transit in Saudi airspace. GACA said it is staunchly following the June 5 government decision, in which it severed all ties with the State of Qatar and also decided to close all land, sea and airports and to ban crossing its land, air and regional waters, in a statement issued Tuesday. The statement said that the decision does not include airlines and aircraft that are not registered in the Kingdom or the State of Qatar and wishing to cross the Kingdom's airspace to and from Qatar. As for private and emergency flight from the Kingdom to Qatar and the other way around, the concerned airline must submit a request to the relevant authority in GACA at least 24 hours prior for clearance, including a list of names and nationalities of the passengers and flight crew, as well as a statement indicating the cargo carried by the aircraft. GACA also reiterated its full commitment to the rules and conditions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention of 1944) and other relevant conventions to ensure the safety of international civil aviation and the continued smooth flow of international air traffic over Saudi Arabia, while maintaining the sovereign right guaranteed by international law to take any precautionary measures to protect its national security if necessary. GACA also affirmed that it is committed to the international resolutions on combating terrorism and aviation security, especially the resolution of the Security Council 2309, adopted by the Security Council at its 7775th meeting held on Sept. 22, 2016, in which it expressed the Security Council's commitment to the sovereignty of all states, including the sovereignty over airspace, its territorial integrity and political independence of the territory in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. As the Security Council also notes in the same resolution the concerns expressed that civil aviation may be used as a means of transporting foreign terrorists, GACA said that it will exercise its right to impose further measures that will ensure the security and safety of its sovereign airspace from any threat or risk in accordance with the laws and conventions governing the movement of air traffic over its airspace.
