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.
Israeli fighters carried out the attack after Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport came under missile fire from the Iranian-backed Houthi movement.
The air force claims to have “disabled” the main Yemeni airport “within 15 minutes”, during an assault on several targets in the area.
Authorities in Yemen issued an extraordinary NOTAM on 6 May stating that Sana’a airport had been closed “due to the wild damage caused by barbaric Israeli aggressive bombardment”.
Yemenia says it “condemns in the strongest terms” the attack.
It states that the assault in 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”.
“[We] will spare no effort in returning the company to operation,” says the carrier, insisting that it will “soon resume flying and providing the distinguished services for which it is known”.
Yemania has not confirmed the identities of the damaged aircraft, but the carrier had been operating a small fleet comprising Airbus A330 and A320 jets.
Three of its A320s (7O-AFG, -AFB and -AFD) have been serving routes out of Aden, and appear to remain operational.
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).
“All those who contributed to the aggression, directly or indirectly, will be brought to justice,” insists the carrier.
“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 Defense Forces claims the airport – like the port of Hodeidah, a concrete factory, and several power stations, which have also been attacked – is an example of civilian infrastructure being used by the Houthi organisation to transfer weapons and personnel.
It also states that the attacks were carried out “in a targeted manner” with precautions to “minimise harm to civilians”.
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 has only been serving a single destination, Amman, with these flights operating for “humanitarian purposes”.
“This targeting is not the first of its kind, and is not isolated from a long series of deliberate attacks on Sana’a International Airport,” it states, pointing out that the facility has also been a casualty of military strikes by a Saudi-led coalition.
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”.
“Sana’a international airport is no longer just a civilian facility, but has become a symbol of Yemeni steadfastness that has not and will not be broken,” it states.
