The Board of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) held an informal session yesterday in which the Secretariat General of the ICAO presented updated information about the safety of the skies over the Arabian Gulf. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Director of the Middle East Regional Office, Mohammed Rahma, said that in direct cooperation with the countries that announced severing their relations with the State of Qatar, office staff activated at 8:30 am on 5th June the contingency plan set forth in Annex XI to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944). In response to a question from a member of the Board, the Director of the Air Navigation Bureau, Steve Kramer, said that the General Secretariat of the ICAO has no concerns about the safety of the skies over the international waters in the Gulf, as the boycotting states possess modern navigation devices and abilities covering all international airspace over the Arabian Gulf, adding that the Regional Bureau will hold a meeting on 6th July in Cairo with representatives of the countries that have cut ties with Qatar to discuss any new demands from Qatar regarding the opening of new air routes over the international waters in the Gulf. A number of international representatives commended the efforts being exerted by the countries and the Secretariat General of the ICAO, especially the staff of the Middle East Regional Office, and requested continuing cooperation between the Regional Office, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain to ensure safety over international waters in the Arabian Gulf.
