Tensions have flared again between the Gulf States amid allegations Qatari fighter jets flew “perilously close” to an Emirati Airbus A320.
The UAE claimed the fighters flew came within 700 feet of the A320 as it traveled between Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
The Bahrain News Agency said the flight, identified as Etihad flight ETD88, met all requirements and the aircraft, identified Etihad Flight ETD88, was traveling at an altitude of 25,000 feet above the international waters within Bahrain Flight Information Region (FIR).
“The Qatari fighters flew too close to the UAE civilian aircraft, jeopardising its safety, which required the intervention of the air control in Bahrain to take the necessary procedures to maintain safety of aviation and the pilot of the plane to manoeuvre and lower it to an altitude of 24,600 feet in order to avoid the Qatari fighters,’’ the agency said.
UAE state news agency WAM said the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority described threats to civilian passengers as completely unacceptable and that it would file a case with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“Qatari jets chased the UAE passenger plane and came close to it leaving just seconds before collision… a very dangerous and unsafe approach which endangered the lives of passengers,” WAM quoted a statement by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority as saying.
The Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its website that it reserved the right to take all measures with ICOA and other agencies “to preserve the safety and security of civil aviation and passengers against irresponsible and illegal Qatari practices.”
“The Airbus, arriving from Dammam airport to Abu Dhabi, was carrying dozens of passengers while flying over international waters on the international air corridor in the Bahrain flight information region, flying in a well-known track and fulfilling all necessary procedures,’’ the Ministry said.
“The Ministry reiterates that these provocative and repeated acts, which the State of Qatar bears responsibility for, represent a threat to passengers and endangers their lives. it also threatens the safety of civil aviation and is a serious violation of relevant international laws and conventions.”
The UAE and Qatar also clashed in January over the interception of civilian aircraft by Qatari fighters.
Relations between Qatar and its neighbours have been tense since Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2017 severed diplomatic ties with Doha and imposed an economic blockade that included closing airspace.
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