Yemenia (IY, Sana) has suspended operations with immediate effect an announcement on its website has said. The move comes in the wake of continued Royal Saudi Air Force-led airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi forces entrenched near Sana International Airport.
The attacks are understood to have partially damaged parts of the airport's main terminal as well as part of its primary runway 18/36. No reliable information concerning the condition of Yemenia's fleet or that of Felix Airways (FO, Sana) and Blue Bird Aviation (Yemen) (BBY, Sana) is currently known.
Saudi military spokesmen last week told the international media that the kingdom's ongoing campaign, codenamed Operation Decisive Storm, has finished targetting Houthi air capability and is now focussed on destroying Yemeni Scud missiles confiscated by Houthi forces and which have now been aimed at Saudi Arabia.
Despite the attacks, airspace in southern Saudi Arabia has partially reopened to commercial traffic with five airports including Jazan and Wadi ad Dawasir now taking domestic and international flights.
Meanwhile, following an intense battle on Saturday, forces loyal to ousted president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi retook Aden airport from Houthi militia. The airport, however, remains closed to commercial traffic.
As the country continues its descent into chaos, Yemen's civil aviation authority last week closed its airspace to international traffic. Airlines serving the Gulf region - Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l), Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi Int'l), and Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad Int'l) in particular - have therefore had to revise flight paths resulting in delays of one to two hours.
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