The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that Qatari fighter planes intercepted two UAE civilian planes “suddenly and without prior notice”, accusing Doha of violating international civil aviation laws.
“The Qatari aircraft intercepted the first plane at 10:30 am Monday, while the second intercepted at 11.5 am at an altitude of 9,000 to 10,000 feet,” Saif al-Suwaidi, director of the UAE Civil Aviation Authority said.
He added that the objection was made when the landing of two Emirates aircraft carrying 277 passengers of different nationalities to Manama airport “on a regular scheduled and well-known route and meet the required approvals and permits internationally recognized by the Qatari side.”
Al-Suwaidi confirmed that the Bahraini radars spotted the Qatari fighters while intercepting the two UAE planes. The crews of the aircraft and the passengers could also see the planes intercepting the naked eye.
He pointed out that the Qatari side has never objected to the use of aircraft for these airspace, and has not issued any warning against use, which constitutes “a clear violation of international laws and the safety of civil aviation from the country side and the threat and fear of a dangerous precedent.”
Al-Suwaidi stressed that the Qatari fighter jets approached the two Emirates “suddenly without any prior warning in clear violation of the fundamentals, customs and laws of international civil aviation.”
He expressed the UAE’s rejection of “this threat to the safety of air traffic” and pledged to take “all necessary legal measures to ensure the safety and security of civil aviation traffic.”