Barran Press
The Yemeni Ministry of Transport, recognized by the internationally recognized government, on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, directed Yemeni Airways to evacuate stranded citizens from Cairo, Egypt, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who were passengers of Queen Balqis Airlines. The ministry also announced that Queen Sheba Airlines is suspended from operations.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Transport, stranded passengers are to be given priority for booking return tickets to airports in liberated areas.
The ministry stated that this action was taken "in recognition of the circumstances of the stranded passengers of Queen Balqis Airlines, which has been suspended due to its failure to comply with the conditions for renewing its air operator license."
The Ministry of Transport's directives come just days after Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak issued an order allowing Queen Balqis Airlines, owned by businessman Ahmed Saleh al-Eisi, to resume flights until the end of the year.
This decision was outlined in a memo dated September 7, 2024, sent by bin Mubarak to Transport Minister Abdulsalam Humaid, an ally of the Southern Transitional Council, and obtained by "Bran Press." The Prime Minister justified the resumption of Queen Balqis Airlines flights by citing the "congestion of passengers at Cairo International Airport due to the company's failure to obtain a license renewal and the suspension of its flight permits."
According to the memo, bin Mubarak's decision was based on an appeal submitted by Queen Balqis Airlines and the overwhelming pressure on Yemeni Airways to meet the travel needs of citizens, including patients, amidst limited aircraft availability.
The memo also stated that the company is in the process of completing the purchase of an aircraft, which requires the inspection of the aircraft by safety inspectors from the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology to ensure its compliance with the necessary conditions for approval.
Regarding the company's debt, the Prime Minister's memo outlined that a committee headed by the Ministry of Finance, with representatives from relevant entities, would be formed to schedule the debt and ensure its repayment by the company.
Earlier, Queen Balqis Airlines issued a statement accusing the Ministry of Transport, the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, of deliberately halting its operations, calling the suspension a crime.
The statement, published on the company's official Facebook page and obtained by "Bran Press," asserted that it was a response to a previous statement by the Ministry of Transport, which it deemed full of "misinformation, lies, and distortions of facts."
The company criticized the Ministry of Transport's previous statement, describing it as "hysterical" and "depriving the official bodies of their meaning."
In its statement, the company accused the Minister of Transport of ignoring the directives of the Presidential Leadership Council, chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, and the Prime Minister to extend the company's operations until the end of the year and complete the aircraft registration process. The statement claimed, "It is clear that the minister does not recognize the president or the prime minister."
The company called on the Presidential Leadership Council to form an urgent committee to investigate the Minister of Transport, whom it accused of marginalizing the role of the authority and performing its duties while enjoying the suffering of stranded passengers at Cairo, Jeddah, and Aden airports, which continues to this day.
The company stated that it "holds the ministry and the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology fully responsible for everything that has happened as a result of the deliberate suspension and reserves its legal right to sue them and demand compensation for all the losses it has incurred."
On September 5, 2024, the Ministry of Transport published a joint statement with the Civil Aviation Authority on its official website, stating that they would not allow the operation of an aircraft that lacks safety requirements and standards, exposing passengers to potential air risks and disasters, and jeopardizing their financial rights.