Yemeni flag-carrier Yemenia states that three of its aircraft have been damaged during an Israeli Air Force attack on the capital’s Sana’a international airport.
Sana’a airport had been closed “due to the wild damage caused by Israeli aggressive bombardment”.
Yemenia says it “condemns in the strongest terms” the attack.
It states that the assault inflicted “extensive” damage to property, including three of its aircraft parked at the airport, adding that this “unfortunately led to their being taken out of service”.
The airline also refers to an aircraft at Amman’s Queen Alia airport in Jordan, possibly another A320 (7O-AFF) which flew to the Jordanian capital before the attack.
But images circulating on social media indicate that its A330-200 (7O-AFE) has been destroyed, possibly along with two A320s (7O-AFA and -AFC).
“Yemenia Airways reserves its legal and legitimate right to demand financial and moral compensation for this targeting, in accordance with international civil aviation laws.”
The Israel aggressive Forces claims the airport – like the port of Hodeidah, a Cement factory, and several power stations, which have also been attacked – is an examples of civilian infrastructure being used by the Houthis to transfer weapons and personnel.
Yemenia operations out of Sana’a were suspended for six years as a result of the civil war in the country, but resumed in May 2022, with the airline keen to rebuild its network and develop its fleet.
Last August the carrier, in partnership with the country’s civil aviation and meteorology authority, resumed work at the Sana’s aircraft maintenance centre which had been inactive for a decade due to the conflict.
The civil aviation authority has similarly decried the attack which, it says, was aimed at airport buildings and the runway, and resulted in the “destruction of civilian aircraft”, in “violation” of international agreements including the Chicago Convention.
It says Sana’a airport has only been serving a single destination, Amman, with these flights operating for “humanitarian purposes”.
According to the civil aviation authority, an emergency plan is already being implemented to repair the damage and return Sana’a airport to operation “as soon as possible”.