USA HAS NOT REQUESTED PERMIT FOR OVERFLIGHTS TO DATE

ZAGREB, March 19 (Hina) - The United States has to date not requested Croatia to allow overflights of its civilian transport aircraft, Croatian Assistant Defence Minister Jelena Grcic-Polic told Hina Wednesday. #L# She explained that the US needed to request a permit for every flight in Croatia's air space and that in practice, flights are announced 48 hours ahead, 24 hours at the latest. At a February 26 session, the Croatian government granted the United States to use Croatia's air space as part of preparations for the military intervention in Iraq, the landing of civilian transport aircraft and their refuelling in Croatian airports. Assistant Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications in charge of air traffic, Boris Smrecki, told Hina that American and its allies' civilian transport aircraft would use two Croatian airports for refuelling, in Split and Pula. This is only technical landing of planes which will not cause any difficulties in airports, since the same is done with other flights, for example, for civilian flights to Australia, Smrecki said. He added that passengers from aircraft did not have a permit to exit them in that case and planes would land only for refuelling or possible repairs. (hina) lml sb