[10/08/2017 09:38]

RIYADH-SABA
The spokesman of the Arab coalition has called on the United Nations to run Sana'a Airport to allow commercial flights re-operation for the public good while securing the Yemeni government's concerns of its misuse.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Group Captain Torki bin Saleh al-Maliki said that the Coalition is fully ready to lift the blockade on air navigation in the airport conditional upon a good management of the airport, a guarantee of airplane safety and prevention of the airports' use for smuggling.

He said: "The closure of Sana'a Airport and limiting its use to relief aid flights are promoted by concerns about the safety of commercial flights, concerns especially stoked by the Houthi militias' past use of it for smuggling weapons. Therefore the airports in government-held and safe areas were made to substitute the Sana'a Airport."

"Therefore you cannot describe such precautionary measures taken to guarantee civilian aviation's safety as a suffering born by the Yemeni people," he added referring to recent statements from the Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie Mcgoldrick.

"Ever since the beginning of the military operations, the command of the Arab coalition has been dedicating all capacities and efforts to guarantee commercial flights and relief aid delivery flights in all Yemeni airports: Sana'a, Aden, Hodeidah, Sayoon, Mukalla and Socotra airports."

He added that since the beginning of the military operations in 2015, the Coalition has issued 5765 permits for commercial and humanitarian relief flights.

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