The Council of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has rejected appeals submitted by blockading countries regarding the incompetence of ICAO to consider Qatar’s complaints.

This came during an ICAO session held yesterday to hear the two complaints Qatar had submitted about the negative impact caused by the blockading countries on aviation and air safety and security, according to Gulf Times.

Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti hailed the vote by the majority of ICAO Member States in favour of examining and looking into Qatar’s complaints and against the blockading countries’ appeals. He praised the ICAO’s efforts in preserving air safety and security and air traffic.

He also stressed that the blockade countries’ encroachments of aviation safety and security contradict all norms and agreements binding on all parties, in addition to the serious consequences such encroachments cause to air safety and security, according to The Peninsula.

Al Sulaiti hoped the executive council of ICAO would expedite an appropriate decision on air traffic and the siege counties’ violations of international law, in accordance with the dispute settlement mechanism under Article 84 of the Chicago Convention. 

According to Article 84 of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, ‘If any disagreement between two or more contracting states relating to the interpretation or application of this Convention and its Annexes cannot be settled by negotiation, it shall, on the application of any state concerned in the disagreement, be decided by the Council.’

Qatar filed two complaints with the ICAO Council under Article 84 of the Chicago Convention and its Annexes, as well as the interpretation and application of the International Airline Transit Agreement.

The siege counties submitted a preliminary objection to the ICAO Council and argued that the council was not competent to consider the complaints submitted by Qatar, with a view to evading their obligations to the Chicago Conventions and the Transit Agreement, wishing to expand negative impacts on aviation security and safety, reported Qatar Tribune.

Qatar submitted a response to the objection of the siege countries, in which it explained that its complaint was within the ICAO Council’s competence. 

The Council of the Organization had earlier set the date of June 26 for hearing Qatar’s complaint against the siege countries.