Gaza airport opens

The head of Palestinian civil aviation authority, Brigadier Fayez Zeidan, said today that "Gaza airport is one of the most important symbols of the country and the Palestinian people, and we hope this airport will be the gate of Palestinians and others to the Arab and external world."

The airport just opened and received its first flight from Egypt, followed by Morocco's arirline which indicated interest in a weekly schedule of flights.

Other planes coming from Jordan, Spain, Austria and Israel also landed in Gaza to celebrate with Palestinians the opening of their first airport.

Under an agreement reached in 1995 with the Palestinian Civil Aviation Authority, the Moroccan National Airport Office supervised the building the $250 million Gaza Airport and trained Palestinian personnel to ensure its functioning.

The opening of the Palestinian airport, whose construction was completed two years ago, has been blocked in view of security arrangements with Israel. The airport was one of the economic subjects covered by the recently signed Palestinian- Israeli Wye plantation agreement.

Fayez Zeidan told ArabicNews.com that it is his hope that this airport can encourage tourism to the Palestinian holy sites, "with which we have no need for Israeli harbors, thus Gaza Airport is very important, and it is the symbol of the Palestinian state's sovereignty."