Manama: Bahrain's foreign ministry on Monday "strongly" condemned the interception by Qatari fighter jets of an UAE carrier on a routine scheduled flight (Emirates Flight 837) to Bahrain.
The interception is a blatant violation of international conventions and laws issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) drafted in 1944, the ministry said in a statement it posted on its website.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that this hostile behaviour by Qatar against civil aircraft has become frequent in recent times, jeopardises the safety of civil aviation and poses a threat to the lives of civilians," the statement said.
The ministry stresses Bahrain's support for the UAE and for all measures it takes to protect its security and stability and to deter and put an end to these violations by Qatar, the statement added.
Earlier, UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had reported that a national carrier aircraft was intercepted by Qatari fighter jets during a routine trip to Manama.
The authority said that it received a complaint today from the national carrier, and described the act as a flagrant and dangerous threat to the safety of civil aviation, as well as a blatant violation of international laws and agreements.
The authority pointed out that the flight was a routine scheduled flight, and that its route is well known and complies with international norms concerning approvals and permits.
The GCAA stressed that the UAE rejects this threat to the safety civil aviation movement, and will take all necessary legal measures to ensure the safety and safety of civil aviation movement.
With inputs from WAM
