According to official Yemeni sources on Friday, July 5th, 2024, "Governmental efforts recognized internationally, with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have forced the internationally classified Houthi group to surrender and end the aircraft crisis." The crisis emerged after the group detained four aircraft transporting pilgrims to Sana'a International Airport.

Earlier today, Navigation sources reported the departure of the first Yemeni Airlines aircraft, previously held by the internationally classified Houthi group on terrorism lists, from Sana'a International Airport en route to Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Sources informed "Barran Press" that the aircraft departed Sana'a International Airport towards Jeddah to transport the first batch of stranded pilgrims since the Houthis detained four Yemeni aircraft carrying pilgrims to Sana'a.

The departure of the aircraft follows agreements facilitated by Omani mediation, which led to the release of the four hijacked aircraft at Sana'a Airport in exchange for resuming the Sana'a-Amman air route.

Yesterday evening, the internationally recognized Yemeni Ministry of Endowments and Guidance notified the Hajj agencies to resume Yemeni Airlines' transportation of stranded pilgrims from Jeddah Airport to Sana'a Airport during two flights.

According to the Ministry's statement, the first flight is scheduled to depart on Friday, July 5th, 2024, at 4:30 PM, while the second flight is set to depart on Saturday, July 6th, 2024, at 8:30 AM.

A Blow that Subdued the Houthis

Commenting on the breakthrough in the aircraft crisis, Hussein Al-Soufi, the Head of the Country's Studies Center, stated that the Houthi's aircraft seizure "was not a result of a crisis related to Yemenia Airlines but rather one of the desperate attempts made by the group following the Central Bank's decisions."

In an interview with "Barran Press," Al-Soufi regarded the "Central Bank battle" as a "genuine and suffocating battle," considering that the bank's ongoing measures, escalating steps, and phased approach are effectively suffocating the Houthis economically, cutting off all their funding sources for their crimes and the survival of their authorities.

He added, "Therefore, the attempt to hijack the aircraft and claim it as a separate issue and an aviation problem is the Houthi's way of showcasing their challenge and confrontation to their supporters. In reality, it is an additional blow that subjugates the group, resembling the reckless actions they took to obstruct the currency unification through the one hundred riyal coin and failed, then banning the circulation of currencies and considering them counterfeit, only to later rush to deal with them and prohibiting the exchange of the old currency, eventually succumbing to its replacement, and other measures that leave them with no options but to comply with the Central Bank's decisions."

Regarding the Houthis' persistent three-day threats and their attempt to hold Saudi Arabia responsible for detaining the pilgrims, Al-Soufi firmly believes that they are part of a propaganda campaign aimed at marketing a false victory to their supporters. He stated, "They portray the crisis as a conflict with Yemenia Airlines, which was evident at the beginning of the crisis. When Yemenia issued a statement refuting the militia's claims and found themselves exposed, they shifted the blame to Saudi Arabia, the scapegoat on which they hang all their propaganda. To add more complexity to this romantic narrative, they linked it to the pilgrims' crisis. Yet, as usual, after their delegation arrived, they engaged in their foolish acts to pressure the Yemenis."

Saudi government efforts

The Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, has successfully pressured the Houthi group to release seized aircraft in Sana'a, ending the flight crisis, according to a report published by the official Yemeni newspaper "Al-Thawra." The report states that the remaining Yemeni pilgrims will be returned to Sana'a aboard these planes.

The report characterizes the Houthi's seizure of Yemeni Airways aircraft as a "desperate attempt to address the economic crisis they have caused in Yemen and achieve false victories to market themselves to the Yemeni people."

The Houthis are accused of "seeking to plunder the value of Hajj travel tickets, preventing their transfer to Yemeni Airways accounts in the temporary capital Aden, and preventing Yemeni Airways from accessing funds in their accounts in Sana'a, in an attempt to counter the repercussions of the Yemeni Central Bank's decision to halt transactions with banks and financial institutions in Houthi-controlled areas."

The report further states that the group "resorted to lies and deceit to justify their acts of robbery and piracy, accusing Saudi Arabia of closing its airspace to Yemeni aircraft to hinder their return to Sana'a, and launching empty threats against the Kingdom, knowing full well that they lack the authority to carry them out without Iran's permission."

According to the report, the Houthi's chronic three-day threats "indicate that the group is seeking a false victory to promote to their supporters, claiming they brought back Yemeni pilgrims by responding to their demands, while in reality, they yielded to the demands of the legitimate government after most Yemeni pilgrims returned to Yemen by land or through Yemeni Airways flights to Aden airport."

On June 26th, 2024, Yemeni Airways apologized to Hajj pilgrims for its inability to transport them to the Yemeni capital Sana'a due to the Houthi's seizure of four of its aircraft.

In a statement regarding the aircraft seizure, which "Barran Press" reviewed, the company confirmed that the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, had "seized four Yemeni Airways aircraft at Sana'a International Airport." The company considered this act a threat to the safety of aviation in the country, stating that it "exacerbates the difficulty of operating flights to and from within the country."

Subsequently, on June 28th, 2024, the Presidential Leadership Council formed a government committee headed by Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak to manage the crisis of the Houthi's seizure of Yemeni Airways aircraft that were transporting pilgrims to Sana'a International Airport.

According to the official Saba news agency, the committee's mandate includes "restricting the group's use of the hijacked aircraft until further notice, including the release of the aircraft seized two months ago, and lifting the ban on the company's frozen assets, which exceed $100 million."