ABU-DHABI, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - The state department of civil aviation of the United Arab Emirates has issued a decree banning flights of Soviet-made An-12 cargo aircraft from January 13, the head of the department said on Monday.

The document says that the decision was made "in the interests of ensuring the safety of the population and the airspace of the UAE."

On January 2, an An-12 plane skid off a landing strip in the country's Sharjah international airport. No one was injured in the incident.

The department advised air companies at Sharjah, Dubai and other airports, which currently have some 30 An-12 planes in use, to begin getting rid of this type of aircraft.