Azeris threaten to shoot down civilian planes flying to Karabakh

March 16, 2011 - 15:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Official Baku believes to have a right to threaten to shoot down civilian planes flying to Karabakh after reopening of Stepanakert airport.

As Baku's state aviation agency said it has informed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that the region's airspace was closed and any flights would be unauthorized.

"According to the law on aviation, it is even possible to physically destroy airplanes which are heading there," Arif Mammadov, director of Azerbaijan's Civil Aviation Administration, said in comments to local media.

"We asked the ICAO to notify the opposing side in order to prevent incidents," he said.

However, Azeri officials, flaunting such statements hardly imagine the repercussions.

Stepanakert airport will be ready for operation in May 2011. “The airport’s terminal is ready. Currently, the tower is being constructed,” the head of the department of civil aviation at the Artsakh government, Dmitry Atbashyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. “The airport will be well equipped. Young specialists are being trained to take up duties by the opening date,” he said.