Spain denies progress in talks over Sahara airspace switch to Morocco

Spain denies any progress within the ongoing negotiations concerning the switch of Saharan airspace to Morocco, which is at the moment managed from the Canary Islands, in accordance with Spanish information outlet El Independiente, citing authorities sources.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry emphasised that “there is no new information on the matter at this time.” ENAIRE, Spain’s air navigation authority, additionally denied any involvement in talks about transferring air navigation companies in Saharan airspace to Morocco.

“Foreign policy is not ENAIRE’s responsibility, and we have no evidence that this alleged transfer is anything more than a recurring rumor,” acknowledged the Spanish company.

The discussions on this topic have been not too long ago raised by Javier Armas, a senator from Agrupación Herrereña Independiente, who acknowledged in a written query to the federal government, “reliable sources in the aviation sector have said that the government is considering handing over the provision of ATS (Air Traffic Services) in Saharan airspace to Morocco.”

“If this is confirmed, it would mean handing everything over to Morocco through the backdoor, in plain terms,” he added, stating that “ATS services are typically only transferred to foreign providers in small areas for traffic or route management reasons, and this is not what Spain is allegedly planning to do with Morocco,” citing trusted sources.

Last week, Spanish parliamentarian Aniceto Armas González additionally referred to “a potential backdoor deal to transfer the management of Sahrawi airspace to Morocco.” The MP expressed deep concern over this alleged transfer, calling it “a backdoor surrender that undermines Spain’s sovereignty and international commitments.”

In current years, Morocco has been in talks with Spain to switch management of Sahrawi airspace to Moroccan authorities. These discussions, initiated in 2022, mark a major shift within the administration of the area’s airspace.

Spain’s assist for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara formalized in a bilateral settlement in April 2022, has supplied momentum to those negotiations.

The talks purpose to reinforce coordination and security in air visitors administration, signaling Morocco’s rising affect within the area.

The seventh level of the Joint Declaration explicitly states that “they will initiate a conversation about airspace management.”