Yemen celebrates World Civil Aviation Day at Taiz Airport

Yemen, represented by the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, celebrated on Thursday, along with other countries of the world, World Civil Aviation Day, which falls on December 9 of each year.

In the celebration, which was attended by the Chargé d’Affaires of Taiz Governorate, Ahmed Al-Masawi, the Undersecretary of the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority, Raed Jabal, explained that Yemen’s participation in the World Civil Aviation Day celebration comes despite the blockade implemented by the aggression coalition for the ninth year, including the air transport sector.

He said, “This occasion comes for the ninth time in the air transport sector in the Republic of Yemen, in light of the almost complete cessation of the sector and it is still subject to arbitrary and illegal measures and restrictions by the countries of the aggression coalition, after they targeted and destroyed Yemeni civilian airports, civil aviation companies were banned from operating in a systematic manner intended to multiply the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Jabal pointed out that the Civil Aviation Authority commemorates the 79th anniversary of World Civil Aviation Day from Taiz International Airport, which was completely destroyed by the aggression coalition countries because of the economic and social importance it represents to the Yemeni people as it serves the central governorates of Yemen with a capacity of 400,000 passengers annually to several International destinations.

A statement issued by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority confirmed that the Republic of Yemen participates with the countries of the world in celebrating International Civil Aviation Day, which falls on December 7th of each year, despite the aggression and blockade imposed on it by the aggression coalition for the ninth year in a row.

The Authority condemned the systematic destruction of the Republic’s facilities and airports in front of the world’s eyes and the shameful international silence, denouncing the continued blockade imposed on the movement of passengers to and from the Republic of Yemen’s airports, including Sana’a International Airport, except for a limited number of flights to only one destination and via one airline.

The statement considered this insufficient and does not meet the minimum needs of Yemeni travelers, and these flights express the extent of the dominance and arrogance of the aggression coalition countries over the Yemeni people.

The Civil Aviation Authority renewed its call on the United Nations and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to fulfill their duties and assume their responsibilities towards the aggression coalition’s abuse of civil aviation in the Republic of Yemen.

She stressed the necessity of working in accordance with the rules and provisions of international humanitarian law and human rights that were approved to protect humans and preserve their basic rights in full protection from any violation and restriction of freedom, guaranteed by all international laws and conventions.

The authority held the countries of the aggression coalition fully responsible for all the damage to the civil aviation and meteorological infrastructure and the resulting deprivation and suffering of the Yemenis.

The Authority’s statement called on the United Nations to lift restrictions on Sana’a International Airport and allow airlines to operate to the airport and oblige the countries of the aggression coalition to lift restrictions and completely open Yemeni airspace, as well as lift the ban on all airports in the Republic to local and international airlines without restriction.

The Civil Aviation Authority called for the evacuation of civilian airports that the aggression coalition countries had turned into military barracks in the occupied areas and the removal of all military manifestations from them.

The statement said, “We are holding this event at Taiz International Airport in the presence of the leadership of the local authority in the governorate, to reflect the impact of protecting the airport lands from attacks and to begin studying its rehabilitation.”