The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) on Friday, June 28th, approved the formation of a government committee headed by Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak to address the Houthi group's seizure of three Yemenia Airways planes. The planes were transporting pilgrims to Sana'a International Airport.

The decision was made during an extraordinary meeting of the PLC, chaired by Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, to discuss the repercussions of the Houthi group's actions. The group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, has been accused of hijacking three Yemenia Airways planes and holding them, along with their flight and technical crews, at Sana'a Airport. The Houthis have prevented the planes from returning to complete the transportation of stranded Yemeni pilgrims from the holy lands, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

The government committee's mandate includes restricting the Houthi group's use of the hijacked aircraft until further notice. This includes the release of a plane that has been held for two months and the lifting of the freeze on the company's frozen assets, which exceed $100 million.

The PLC condemned the Houthi group's hijacking of the financially and administratively independent Yemenia Airways planes as a "full-fledged terrorist act." This act, according to the agency, adds to the group's serious violations against national and foreign air and sea carriers over the past years.

The PLC held the Houthi group fully responsible for the consequences of this "dangerous" escalation, which it said would further deepen the suffering of citizens, affect the national carrier's flight schedule, and inflict heavy losses.

Last Wednesday, June 26th, Yemenia Airways issued a "deep" apology to Hajj pilgrims for its inability to transport them to the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, due to the Houthi group's seizure of four of its planes.

The company, in a statement reviewed by Bran Press, explained that the Houthi group had seized four of its planes at Sana'a International Airport, considering this a threat to the safety of air navigation in the country. The company stated that this action exacerbates the difficulty of operating flights to and from within the country.

The Yemeni Ministry of Transport, recognized by the international community, stated that more than 1,300 pilgrims remain stranded at King Abdulaziz International Airport and in the holy lands. The ministry indicated that the Houthi violations against the national carrier have continued since the freezing of the company's financial assets in March 2023, exceeding $100 million.