For years, the internationally classified terrorist group, the Houthis, has launched extensive pressure campaigns against the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition supporting it, demanding the reopening of Sana'a International Airport.

These campaigns have involved international organizations, foreign agencies, as well as activists and officials loyal to the Yemeni government and independent entities. They argue that the airport's closure has caused suffering for millions of Yemenis, particularly patients and travelers.

The campaigns have included dozens of protests in areas under Houthi control, as well as demonstrations by activists in America and other countries. Additionally, hundreds of online media campaigns have been launched.

Despite the Yemeni government and the coalition accusing the Houthis of using the airport for political and military purposes, including smuggling weapons, leaders, and experts from Iran to Sana'a, the ongoing and escalating campaigns have become a chronic headache and succeeded in reopening the airport.

Despite complaints from Yemen's national airline about Houthi violations, it has continued its flights from Sana'a Airport to Jordan, with a frequency of six flights per week, following the UN ceasefire declaration in April 2022, which called for the reopening of Sana'a Airport and Hodeidah Port for commercial flights.

However, the recent surprise came with the Houthi group's initiative to detain four civilian aircraft belonging to Yemen's national airline. This unexpected and shocking move has bewildered the Yemeni public, accustomed to hearing Houthi speeches calling for the airport's opening as a vital service facility unrelated to politics and conflict.

On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Yemen's national airline issued a "strong" apology to the pilgrims of the Holy Kaaba for its inability to transport them to the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, due to the Houthi's detention of four of its aircraft.

In a statement, the airline explained that the internationally classified terrorist group, the Houthis, had detained four of its aircraft at Sana'a International Airport, considering this act a threat to aviation safety in the country. The airline stated that it "increases the difficulty of operating flights to and from within the country."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation in the internationally recognized Yemeni government stated that more than 1,300 pilgrims are still stranded at King Abdulaziz International Airport and the holy sites, emphasizing that Houthi violations against the national carrier have persisted since the freezing of the company's financial assets in March 2023, which exceeded 100 million dollars.

Motivations 

"Barran Press" has discussed the motives behind this Houthi action and its implications with observers, analysts, and researchers, who consider it a "dangerous development" that threatens to re-close Sana'a Airport to any flights, further exacerbating the situation in the country, which is awaiting progress on several fronts, starting with the economic and financial file.

Dr. Adel Dushila, a researcher, stated that the Houthi's detention of aircraft is "not new for a militia group in principle," and this step returns Yemen to square one, which is the conflict over resources in the country.

He mentioned that the group, listed as a terrorist organization, has previously seized substantial funds from the assets of Yemeni Airways, and has also halted oil and gas through military strikes. He pointed out that "the recent administrative measures taken by Yemeni Airways, such as banning ticket sales and purchases in areas under Houthi control, have pushed them to escalate to the point of aircraft hijacking."

"Dushila" believes that this move is part of the Houthi's escalation in response to the Central Bank's steps, which have made several decisions in the recent period.

"The Houthis wanted the aircraft hijacking to be a preemptive step, for example, to prevent Yemen Airways from conducting a comprehensive review of other measures, as the Houthis are unable to maneuver and have used pressure tactics against the internationally recognized Yemeni government, after exhausting all the pressure tactics they had," he said.

He speculated that "this escalation may open the door to further escalatory steps, and if these steps fail, it is not unlikely that military escalation will occur, which the group is currently preparing for."

Researcher Dushila expected that "the Yemeni government may make further concessions to the Houthis under regional pressure regarding some measures related to Yemen Airways."

He added, "But the strategic issues will remain unresolved, such as resources, political issues, and military matters. All of these are thorny issues that may take us back to square one and renewed conflict, but all possibilities are on the table, including a return to violence and fighting."

Regarding the position of travel agencies, "Dushila" believes that the most they can do in protest is limited. He pointed out that some local agencies may suffer economic losses due to the delay in transporting pilgrims, which will increase concerns among agencies operating in Sana'a and may compel them to consider relocating their offices to other areas of the country in the future.

According to "Dushila," "reliance cannot be placed on international organizations." He stated that they "do not have leverage over the Houthis, and condemnation is what they can offer, and even if they condemn the Houthis, it would be considered a positive action."

Pressure card
In turn, researcher and economic analyst Wahid Al-Foudayi said that the Houthis’ detention of planes at Sanaa airport proves that “the airport is nothing more than a political and economic card for that group, and it always proves that it does not care about the suffering of citizens.”

Al-Foudayi added, in his interview with “Barran Press,” that “the group prefers to achieve its gains at the expense of the suffering of citizens, and that it believes that seizing planes and preventing flights enhances its influence in the ongoing conflict.”

He continued, "The Houthis are using the airport as a pressure card in political negotiations and as a means to collect economic resources through fees and royalties." He stressed, “The Houthis’ lack of interest in alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people is evident in their continued detention of aircraft, despite the significant negative impact on civilians.”

Al-Foudayi believes that there is a high possibility that Sanaa Airport will be closed again after this Houthi action, and Yemeni Airlines flights through the airport may be stopped.

Given the ongoing tensions and ongoing conflict between the legitimate government and the Houthi group, he believes that “the situation may escalate to a point that makes it difficult for air operations to continue.”

In his opinion, “any military or political escalation could lead to the closure of the airport as a security measure, which will deepen the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”

Regarding the role of international organizations and international agencies, Al-Foudayi says, “They often express their concern and denunciation of the Houthis’ actions that increase the suffering of civilians. Such as the United Nations, human rights organizations, and international relief organizations continuously condemn any violations or use of civilian facilities as political tools.”

He said, “Since the resumption of flights through Sanaa Airport, these organizations have called for ensuring freedom of movement and the safety of civilians, and urged the conflicting parties to reach peaceful solutions that guarantee the rights of civilians and alleviate their suffering.”

He stated that the recent actions of the Houthi group, such as seizing aircraft, intensified criticism and calls for more stringent international measures to ensure compliance with international humanitarian laws.

The Consequences of Detention

In response to the recent actions taken by the Houthis at Sana'a Airport, journalist and researcher Fouad Massad stated that it is evident that they are an armed organization that only thrives in a state of constant war and conflict. This is evident in their hijacking of planes and the detention of employees of international organizations.

Regarding the international response to this Houthi move, Massad added that these reactions have, during the past period, contributed to encouraging the Houthis because no decisive stance has been taken against their actions and violations since their coup in 2014.

He pointed out that "the recent Houthi practices undoubtedly have negative consequences and effects because they prove to everyone that the Houthis are not serious about reaching a political settlement to end the war and establish a new phase."

The journalist, Massad, believes that "the closure of Sana'a Airport is a likely outcome if the Houthis persist in committing such crimes that target civil aviation and the general public."

Political analyst Asaad Omar told "Barran Press" that "the Houthi group does not differentiate between what is political and what is humanitarian, and it does not care about the suffering of the citizens in all its practices."

He added that the group always "uses everything to serve its oppressive dominance and control." In his opinion, the "detention of Yemeni planes is not beyond the goal and approach of the Houthis."

Omar accused the Houthis of seeking to exploit this move "to present themselves as capable of using different cards for blackmail and pressure in the face of measures and decisions issued by the legitimate government regarding the currency, the transfer of the financial and economic center to the temporary capital, Aden."

In his opinion, the group "provides additional evidence of its nature and direction towards anything that affects the interests of the citizens in its controlled areas, and it will not hesitate to exploit what is happening today to justify its behavior in wasting and confiscating public funds."

Yemeni Airlines had clarified that the reason for the arrival of the detained planes at Sana'a Airport was to transport approximately 8,400 pilgrims from Sana'a and the areas under the control of the Sana'a authority from Jeddah to Sana'a within a week.

The company stated in its statement that it was forced, in cooperation and coordination with the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, to operate more than one flight per day from Jeddah to Sana'a to complete the transportation of the pilgrims to their homeland on time. It confirmed that "there are still thousands of stranded pilgrims in Saudi territories who are waiting for their turn to return."

The company appealed to the leadership of the Presidential Council, the government, the leadership of the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, international air transport organizations, the international envoy to Yemen, and all relevant parties to urgently intervene to stop such arbitrary actions against the national Yemeni airlines.

For the second consecutive day, social media platforms are witnessing a flood of condemnatory writings against the Houthis' detention of planes and the position of the Yemeni government, which sent planes to the airport despite knowing the group's stance as they hijacked the first plane.

Activists recalled the Houthis' positions and propaganda campaigns over the past years, which continued to demand the opening of Sana'a Airport for humanitarian reasons. They considered the group's detention of Yemeni planes as evidence that they had exploited the airport for political gains and continue to use it as a political card since its partial reopening for humanitarian flights in April 2022.

In August 2016, the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, had closed Sana'a Airport to civilian flights, accusing the Houthis of using it for military purposes. The airport and its surroundings have been subjected to repeated airstrikes due to allegations that the Houthis used parts of it for weapon storage and launch platforms for missiles and drones.