Spain admits talks with Morocco on Sahara airspace transfer

The Spanish government has admitted to holding talks with Morocco on the issue of Saharan airspace. This comes in a written response to a question by a Canary Islands MP, acknowledging «two bilateral meetings» on the topic since the diplomatic rapprochement with Rabat in spring 2022.

The government affirms that these negotiations are in line with point 7 of the Moroccan-Spanish Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, which called for «discussions concerning the management of airspace» to be initiated between the two countries.

In February, Spanish newspaper OK Diario revealed that a working group tasked with examining the transfer of Saharan airspace control to Morocco had already convened twice. The same source even revealed the establishment of «a technical commission» by Rabat and Madrid to address details of technical and safety cooperation in managing the airspace.

For the record, on March 22, 2023, the Spanish government further acknowledged the start of «discussions with Morocco» on this subject in response to a question from a Canary Islands senator.