Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The General Authority for Civil Aviation, under Houthi control, has condemned the decision by Yemenia Airways in Aden to prohibit the use of tickets issued from Sana’a, calling it an escalatory measure that worsens the suffering of citizens—particularly patients stranded abroad.
The authority stated that the decision violates aviation transport laws and constitutes a blatant infringement on the rights of Yemeni citizens.
It called for the immediate reversal of the measure, stressing the importance of keeping civilian interests separate from administrative disputes.
This comes after the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council revealed painful details about the Houthis seizing three planes carrying Yemeni pilgrims at Sana’a Airport and refusing to release them despite warnings—resulting in their eventual destruction by Israeli airstrikes.
President Al-Alimi also addressed the incident involving a fourth aircraft that was recently destroyed, explaining that the government had offered to transport pilgrims from Jeddah to Aden, but the Houthis rejected all proposals and insisted the plane land in Sana’a. They threatened to bomb the airports of Aden, Hadramawt, Shabwa, and Mocha if their demands were not met.
Al-Alimi added that the council ultimately allowed the plane to return to Sana’a to protect lives and avoid escalation of the war—only for it to be destroyed in an Israeli airstrike two days later.
