(ANSA) - BRUSSELS - NATO re-opens the upper airspace over Kosovo for civilian air traffic overflights. The North Atlantic Council accepted the offer by the Government of Hungary to act as a technical enabler through its national air navigation service provider, Hungarocontrol.

"The reopening of the upper airspace in Kosovo is a significant example of regional cooperation and a significant step that benefits the entire Western Balkans", NATO Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. The reopening of the airspace will lead to shorter flight routes in the region, generating significant cost savings for airspace users and environmental benefits. Estimations indicate that around 180,000 civilian flights will be annually affected.

In line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and the 1999 Military Technical Agreement, the Kosovo airspace will remain under NATO/KFOR authority. The re-opening of the upper airspace, according to the press release, would not have been possible without the multinational cooperation taking place within the framework of the NATO-led aviation normalisation process in the Western Balkans, which includes the Government of Hungary, neighbouring states, EUROCONTROL and several other partners. (ANSA).