Responding to media reports that civil aviation authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have prevented the plane of the President of the Republic of Sudan from entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's airspace, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said yesterday that "Based on available records and recordings, the GACA yesterday prevented a private plane - on its way from Khartoum International Airport to Tehran International Airport - from crossing Saudi Arabia's airspace due to the lack of a regular transit permit." In a press statement yesterday, the GACA emphasized that "The Air Traffic Control Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was not notified by Air Traffic Controllers at Khartoum Airport about the plane's departure from Khartoum Airport or the time of entering Saudi airspace as it is a procedure applicable internationally. When the plane returned back to Khartoum Airport, the pilot disclosed that the President of the Republic of Sudan is on board." --More 11:55 LOCAL TIME 08:55 GMT تغريد