Algeria Closes Airspace To Emirati Aircraft

Algeria said Thursday it was closing its airspace to civilian and military aircraft registered in the United Arab Emirates after cutting diplomatic ties with the Gulf country following years of tension.

The Algerian Defence Ministry said the airspace ban would take effect on Friday. Commercial flights to and from Algiers airport will be exempt from the restriction until the end of 2026.

Algiers announced the severing of diplomatic relations after accusing the UAE of “provocative and hostile acts”. It did not specify what triggered the latest rupture.

Algeria said the decision followed the failure of efforts to preserve bilateral relations. The foreign ministry said it had repeatedly warned Abu Dhabi about its actions, which it said had reached a point that was no longer acceptable.

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said it hoped the decision would be temporary and that “fraternal ties” between the two countries could be maintained.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in a televised interview in July that a diplomatic break would have happened earlier if Algeria had not sought to avoid deepening divisions in the Arab world.

Algiers has given the UAE ambassador 48 hours to comply with the decision.

The specific actions Algeria cited as the reason for severing diplomatic relations have not been disclosed.

SOURCE: AFP