Ministry of Transport Condemns Houthi Targeting of Aden International Airport

The Ministry of Transport in the Yemeni government has condemned the Houthi targeting of Aden International Airport with two ballistic missiles and drones at dawn on Wednesday, stating that the attack endangered the lives of civilians and aircraft.

The Ministry of Transport noted that the attack occurred at a highly sensitive and critical moment, as one of the missiles landed near the airport runway just minutes before the landing of Yemenia Airways flight (603) from the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The flight was carrying civilian passengers returning to their families, and the incident could have turned the civilian flight into a horrific humanitarian disaster, claiming the lives of dozens of innocent people in moments.

It added: The danger was not limited to the incoming aircraft, as there were employees and passengers at the airport waiting for a flight to Jeddah at 3:00 AM. Additionally, two planes—one belonging to Yemenia Airways and another to Aden Air—were on the tarmac, placing the lives of civilians, staff, and aircrews in direct and real danger.

The ministry confirmed that the relevant authorities were forced to take urgent and decisive measures to protect lives. These included canceling the landing of the Yemenia flight from Cairo, redirecting it to Jeddah, and evacuating the two aircraft on the runway to move them away from the danger zone for fear of another attack, coinciding with the detection of several Houthi militia drones flying over the temporary capital, Aden.

It added that the airport building was evacuated of staff and passengers, who were moved away from danger zones in a scene that reflects the scale of the threat faced by innocent civilians who were simply at a civilian airport waiting to travel or performing their duties to serve passengers.

The Ministry of Transport stressed that protecting human life remains above all considerations and that the passenger boarding a plane seeking safety or returning to their family, the employee performing their duty at the airport, and the flight crew working to transport citizens must all be kept out of the conflict and military actions.

It affirmed that targeting Aden International Airport while a civilian aircraft was approaching to land, with two other planes on the tarmac, and passengers and staff inside its facilities, represents a blatant disregard for civilian lives. It reveals the magnitude of the danger such attacks can cause in a single moment, not only by destroying a civilian facility but by turning it into the scene of a collective humanitarian tragedy.

The ministry considered the shelling a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international laws and norms that guarantee the protection of civil aviation, airports, and civilian facilities from hostile acts. It also represents a direct threat to the safety of air navigation and the lives of passengers and workers in the aviation sector.

It stated that the recurrence of these attacks clearly shows that the targeting of aircraft, airports, and civilian facilities is not an isolated incident, but a systematic approach aimed at the nation's assets and the citizens' right to safe travel and movement. It deepens the damage to the air transport sector and the national economy at a time when Yemenis need to rebuild their institutions and protect what remains of their infrastructure, not turn it into targets for destruction.

It stressed that Aden International Airport is a civilian facility dedicated to serving citizens and travelers, and that targeting its runway as a civilian aircraft was about to land, with two other planes on the tarmac, cannot be considered merely a transient military act but an attack that places civilian lives in direct danger and threatens the safety of civil aviation in Yemen and the region.

The ministry also affirmed that the continued targeting of airports and civilian flights not only threatens Yemenis but also places the safety of commercial aviation and air navigation at increasing risk, threatens the right of passengers to safe travel, and requires a clear and firm international stance.