MIDDLE EAST – Qatari planes are to be banned from Egyptian and Saudi air space, as a growing diplomatic row in the Gulf threatens large-scale air disruption.
Several countries have cut ties with the tiny Gulf state over accusations of supporting extremism in the region.
Air, land and sea links have been halted to the country from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain.
Qatar denies backing militants, including so-called Islamic State (IS), and said the move was “unjustified”.
Sudan’s foreign ministry offered to mediate between all sides “in order to achieve calm and reconciliation”.
This major split between powerful Gulf countries, who are also close US allies, comes amid heightened tensions between Gulf countries and their near-neighbour, Iran.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE co-ordinated together to set the diplomatic withdrawal into motion, closing all transport ties by air, land and sea to Qatar, a tiny gas-rich peninsula.
They have given all Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their territory. The three countries have also banned their citizens from travelling to Qatar.
The UAE and Egypt have given Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave both countries.
Saudi Arabia took it one step further by closing down a local office of Qatar’s influential Al Jazeera TV channel.
However, the country says it will still allow Qataris to take part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Egypt, Yemen, Libya’s eastern-based government and the Maldives later followed suit in severing diplomatic ties.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authorities have banned Qatari planes from landing or stopping at its airports, as well as crossing Saudi airspace.
Egypt has also closed off its airspace to flights originating from Qatar, and said all flights between the two countries would be halted from 04:00 GMT on Tuesday and “continue until further notice”.
Airlines from many of the affected countries, including Bahrain’s Gulf Air, Etihad Airways and Emirates, say they plan to cancel flights to and from the Qatari capital Doha starting from Tuesday morning.
Budget carriers, such as Fly Dubai and Air Arabia, have also cancelled routes to Doha.
SOURCE: BBC