Egypt reopens airspace with Qatar after 3-year hiatus

“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,” the head of the Egyptian civil aviation authority Ashraf Noyer said.

The decision comes days after the signing of the AIUIa dcleration 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.

On Jan. 5, leaders and heads of the GCC member states' delegations signed the final statement of the 41st Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in Saudi Arabia's Al Ula town.

The GCC's 41st Supreme Council session's meeting was attended by Senior Advisor to U.S. President Jared Kushner, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit.

Egypt’s Minster Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry attended the summit held in Al Ula town and signed the final statement of the 41st Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The ministry's statement indicated that Egypt is always keen on solidarity among the Arab quartet – Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates – and on joint Arab work in the face of massive threats experienced by the region. The ministry also stressed good intentions as a base for relations among Arab states, and not interfering in each other's internal affairs.

In that context, "Egypt values and appreciates every honest effort made to achieve reconciliation between the quartet and Qatar, primarily the efforts of Kuwait over the past years," the statement reads.

Saudi Arabia announced Monday that it resumed aviation with Qatar as well as opening urban borders with the fellow Gulf state. That came after three years and a half after the Arab quartet severed diplomatic ties with Qatar for funding terrorism. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade links with Doha in 2017.