The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has condemned the “irresponsible” actions of two Qatari fighter jets which approached UAE-registered commercial airplanes over Bahraini airspace.
“The GCAA condemns such irresponsible acts against civilian air traffic on regular, scheduled service on flight-paths known to ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organisation) and reiterates the UAE’s right to take all necessary actions, granted by international law,” the GCAA statement said.
According to the GCC, the pilot of one of the commercial aircraft had to perform “emergency manoeuvres” to avoid colliding with the Qatari jets.
In a statement, Bahraini authorities confirmed that one incident took place, in which two Qatari jets entered Bahrain’s flight information region (FIR) “without prior authorisation” and deliberately flew underneath a UAE-registered Airbus A320 flying en-route to Rome from Fujairah.
No mention was made of a second incident.
The Bahraini statement added that Qatari aircraft “consistently violate international conventions and jeapordise the movement of civil aviation in the region.”
According to the GCAA, UAE authorities have reported two similar incidents involving Qatari aircraft to the ICAO.
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