Egypt reopens airspace with Qatar, resumes flights: Report

Egypt reopens airspace with Qatar, resumes flights: Report
January 12, 2021, 10:51 am

A new Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600 sits on the tarmac at Doha airport. (File photo: AFP)

Egypt reopened its airspace with Qatar on Tuesday and announced the resumption of flights between the two countries, according to a local media report.

“The decision allows EgyptAir and Qatar Airways, as well as other Qatari airlines, to resume air traffic and send flight operating schedules to the Egyptian and Qatari civil aviation authorities for approval,” news outlet Ahram Gate reported, citing the head of the Egyptian civil aviation authority Ashraf Noyer.

The decision comes days after the signing of the AlUla declaration at the GCC Summit held in Saudi Arabia last week, in which the Kingdom announced a breakthrough in ending a bitter dispute between Gulf Arab states and Qatar , with its foreign minister saying Riyadh and its allies would restore all ties with Doha severed in mid-2017.

GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia begins in AlUla’s Maraya Hall

Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry flew to Saudi Arabia to take part in the 41st GCC Summit and signed the declaration, Reuters reported citing an official source.

The decision to sign the declaration was in line with Egypt’s continued support and solidarity with the countries of the Arab Quartet, and in an effort to enhance joint Arab action in facing the grave challenges in the region, the minister said.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also announced reopening their borders with neighboring country Qatar, in addition to the resumption of flights.

source: Joanne Serrieh

Image source: AFP

Levant

Coronavirus: European Medicines Agency considering Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine Israel to reopen Morocco mission in ‘the next days’ after normalizing ties