Yemeni Transport Ministry Announces Its Refusal to Operate Iranian Flights to Sanaa and Complains of Houthi Abuses
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Ministry of Transport in the Yemeni government announced its absolute refusal of attempts to operate Iranian or foreign flights to Sanaa International Airport, considering this a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and of the laws and international agreements regulating civil aviation.
In a statement issued today, Saturday, the ministry explained that it had recently completed a comprehensive plan to resume flights between Sanaa and the Jordanian capital Amman, and to expand to other destinations after obtaining the necessary permits, but was surprised by efforts to impose a new reality that contravenes international law and undermines peace efforts.
The statement accused the Houthi group of engaging in arbitrary steps to disrupt civil aviation movement and achieve illegitimate gains, noting that the group had caused severe damage to the national carrier (Yemenia Airways).
The statement mentioned that the Houthis had frozen the company’s financial balances without legal justification to weaken its operational capabilities, and had detained four of the company’s aircraft at Sanaa Airport (one Airbus A330 and three Airbus A320s).
The statement held the Houthi group fully responsible for the destruction of four other aircraft during previous shelling of the airport, calling on the United Nations, the international community, and civil aviation organizations to assume their responsibilities and pressure the Houthis to stop targeting the national carrier.
The Yemeni government affirmed its commitment to supporting Yemenia Airways and continuing its efforts to expand flights through various Yemeni airports, and its rejection of turning civil aviation into a tool for political blackmail.
