Sana’a Airport.. Five years of closure by an unjustified Saudi individual decision

Report: Ibrahim Al-Roni

 

Five years have passed since the closure of Sana’a International Airport, in front of civilian, humanitarian and commercial flights, by an unjust and unjust individual decision, taken by the Saudi state of aggression on the ninth of August 2016, without any reason justifying the closure of the airport.

Sana’a International Airport is the most important civilian airport and the first air port that serves all the people of the Republic of Yemen. However, the countries of the US-Saudi aggression coalition insisted on keeping the airport closed to increase the suffering of the Yemeni people, isolate them from the world, and turn Yemen into a large prison.

The airport closure was met with shameful silence by the international community, the United Nations, its affiliated organizations, the Security Council, human rights and international humanitarian organizations, whose laws, regulations and international conventions criminalize targeting or harming civilian airports, just like other service facilities and facilities that provide services to citizens.

Despite this, the coalition of aggression deliberately targeted the airport in its first raids on Yemen, on the eve of March 26, 2015, focusing on the passenger lounges, the main runway, lighting and other important places that enemy aircraft turned into rubble.

A report issued by the Ministry of Transport obtained by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) indicates that the stages of targeting and closing Sana’a International Airport began at dawn on Thursday, March 26, 2015 AD with four raids that directly targeted the main runway and caused great damage, and prevented all flights of airlines, including Yemeni Airlines. From landing and taking off at the airport, this resulted in a great problem and suffering for the stranded citizens at home and abroad.

The report indicated that during the period from April 6, 2015 to April 27 of the same year, the authority restored and rehabilitated the airport runway, and flights were allowed to evacuate foreign care from Yemen, while flights of the national carrier, “Yemeni Airways” were prevented from returning Yemenis stranded abroad or Removal of non-Yemenis stranded at home, including patients and students on scholarships to study abroad.

According to the report, the runway of Sanaa International Airport was subjected to a direct bombardment on April 28, 2015 which made it out of readiness, but the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority restored the airport to readiness again to receive flights.

The report pointed out that the Saudi state of aggression, during the period May 20, 2015 until August 7, 2016, restricted the flights of the national carrier, Yemenia Airlines to only two flights, which were limited to ten flights per day on two destinations “Amman and Cairo” instead of 30 destinations, and the US-Saudi aggression coalition also prohibited The flights of 14 foreign Arab airlines were permanently banned.

In a measure described by the Ministry of Transport as arbitrary and unjustified, on August 8, 2016, the coalition of aggression closed Sana’a Airport by a decision of the Saudi Ministry of Defense and banned all flights of Yemeni airlines until today and were limited to flights by the United Nations and its affiliated organizations and international humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen, which aggravated the situation. of human suffering and compounded the humanitarian catastrophe for Yemenis.

In its report, the ministry stated that the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology worked to rehabilitate its technical and professional readiness in accordance with international conditions and requirements, urgently to refute the lies and slanders of the aggression that Sana’a Airport is not ready, citing that the landing of United Nations planes and relief organizations by four to five flights per day during a period Airport closure.

According to the report, Sana’a International Airport receives United Nations flights, international and diplomatic delegations, employees of the highest levels and important personalities in the second place, all of which confirm the airport’s technical and professional readiness.

He stated that several giant 747-B cargo planes landed at Sana’a International Airport, which confirms the airport’s readiness, reception, passenger movement and regular aircraft.

In this regard, Minister of Transport Amer Al-Marani stressed that the steadfastness of the sectors of the Ministry of Transport and its affiliated units and the continuation of its institutional work with administrative and functional discipline and high technical and professional readiness, thwarted the aggression’s goals and plans, despite its targeting of ports, airports and land ports, which are civilian interests.

He noted the interest of the revolutionary leadership, the Supreme Political Council and the Salvation Government at Sana’a International Airport due to its strategic importance in providing services to various segments of society.

And he indicated that the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression sought to paralyze air traffic from Sanaa Airport, by constantly targeting it through the aggression’s air raids, spreading false rumors through its media and slandering its lack of technical readiness to mislead the international community in this regard.

He pointed out that Sana’a Airport receives the planes of the United Nations and its organizations and international organizations that are not aware of any interest except for their interests at the expense and the lives of the Yemeni people. Full protection of the airport by preventing the coalition of aggression from targeting it.

The Minister of Transport expressed hope that the international community would carry out its legal and humanitarian duty to press for the speedy opening of Sana’a International Airport.

In turn, the President of the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Rahman Abdul Qadir, confirmed that the closure of Sana’a airport has caused a humanitarian disaster unprecedented in history.

He explained that the Saudi-led aggression coalition is practicing air piracy by threatening and striking any plane in the air that arrives or leaves Sana’a International Airport without prior permission from it, flouting all documents, treaties and international agreements in disrepute and in full view of the world.

Abdul Qadir indicated that the technical, security and professional equipment of Sana’a International Airport is fully prepared to receive all civil, humanitarian and relief flights, indicating that air transport services are in continuous development and keep pace with recent developments emanating from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

He pointed out the keenness of the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority on the safety of air navigation and securing transit in the airspace of the Republic of Yemen.. He referred to the qualified technical cadres and expertise in the fields of civil aviation who receive training and qualification at the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Institute of the authority and whose certificate is accredited by the International Aviation Organization (ICAO).

He also affirmed that Sana’a International Airport has been steadfast since the start of the aggression and has not gone out of readiness, despite the aggression’s endeavor to paralyze its movement and air navigation services.. Reaffirming the airport’s readiness to receive all civil flights 24 hours a day in accordance with international requirements and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

For his part, the Director General of Sana’a International Airport, Khaled Al-Shayef, indicated that the airport was subjected to more than 180 direct raids by the aggression aircraft, with the intention of removing it from readiness and paralyzing its navigational movement, in addition to targeting the airport campus with 500 raids.

He stressed the interest of the leadership of the Ministry of Transport and the General Authority of Civil Aviation in the airport’s cadres and in the development and modernization of its facilities, pointing out that there are plans based on the airport’s technical readiness to provide air navigation services in accordance with international standards.

He pointed out that Sana’a Airport is the main artery that serves more than 80 percent of the population of the Republic of Yemen.

He explained that Sanaa Airport suffered direct material losses that exceeded $150 million as a result of its closure and targeting of its runway, power stations, water networks, communications, navigational devices, the navigational guidance device and some other equipment, while indirect losses exceeded $3 billion due to the suspension of flights and revenues and the closure of service offices at the airport.

He pointed out that before the aggression, more than five thousand passengers were traveling daily through Sanaa airport to various countries of the world, including about 100 patients for the purpose of treatment abroad, as well as internal flights to most of the governorates.

And Al-Shayef indicated that Sanaa airport was receiving various imported goods, especially medicines, solutions, medical supplies and others