A written statement made by the Algerian Presidency announced that Moroccan planes were to be restricted to use Algerian airspace.
The decision was made after the Supreme Security Council convened under the chairmanship of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
“The Council has decided to immediately close the airspace to Moroccan civil and military aircraft and aircraft bearing the registration number of this country,” the statement included.
It was stated that the decision was taken due to “the ongoing provocation and hostile actions by Morocco” and that the decision will be implemented immediately.
There was no statement from Moroccan officials on the subject.
A source at Royal Air Maroc (RAM) expressed that the move would only affect 15 flights weekly linking Morocco with Tunisia, Turkey, and Egypt.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, described the impact on RAM as insignificant and said the relevant flights could reroute over the Mediterranean.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra announced on August 24 that his country had decided to cut diplomatic relations with Morocco as a result of “recent hostile acts.”
In a written statement made by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the aforementioned, it was underlined that the reasons for the unilateral decision taken by Algeria were rejected.
Relations between Algeria and Morocco have been blocked since the land border between the two countries closed in 1994, and due to the Western Sahara dispute between Rabat and the Polisario Front supported by Algiers.
Morocco’s normalization with Israel last year as a quid pro quo for US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara also angered Algeria.
