At the airport — the primary international access point for parts of Yemen not under Houthi control — passengers filled the terminal, anxiously awaiting updates regarding their flights.
Later on Thursday, Yemeni sources reported that flights between Aden and all locations outside the UAE would recommence, though Reuters could not verify this immediately.
Air traffic was halted amid a dispute over restrictions on flights to the UAE, with conflicting reports regarding the specifics of the situation and accountability.
Awadh al-Subaihi shared his frustration, stating he had been at the airport waiting for a flight to Cairo for medical treatment. ”We are suffering, and many other patients and elderly individuals here are in a challenging predicament,” he expressed.
The UAE supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which took control of large areas of southern Yemen from the internationally recognized government last month.
Saudi Arabia, backing the government, viewed this development as a threat, sparking the most significant rift between it and its Gulf neighbor, the UAE, in decades.
The UAE-backed STC governs the transport ministry within the internationally recognized coalition government, which is primarily supported by Saudi Arabia.
The ministry issued a statement accusing Saudi Arabia of enforcing an air blockade, claiming that Riyadh required all flights to route through Saudi Arabia for additional checks.
When this was contested, Saudi Arabia reportedly clarified that the limitation was exclusively on flights between Aden and the UAE.
DISAGREEMENT OVER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
A Saudi source rejected any claims of involvement in restricting flights, asserting that the internationally recognized Yemeni government had mandated the requirement on flights to and from the UAE to mitigate rising tensions.
This source further stated that the southern-controlled ministry responded by opting for a full air traffic shutdown rather than adhering to the UAE-related restrictions.
An official from the transport minister’s office denied this account, stating that the minister had not authorized any decisions to close the airport.
Reuters was unable to immediately contact the leadership of the internationally recognized government, which has been based in Saudi Arabia since the STC seized areas in the south last month, for comments on the airport closure and flight limitations.
The UAE Foreign Ministry did not promptly respond to a request for comments regarding the airport situation.
This conflict is the latest indication of a deepening crisis in Yemen, revealing a significant divide between the two Gulf oil powers.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of exerting pressure on Yemen’s STC to advance towards its borders, declaring its national security a ”red line,” which led the UAE to announce it was withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen.
This followed an airstrike by Saudi-led coalition forces on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, which the coalition claimed was a facility used for providing foreign military support to the separatists.
