Flights to touch down at Aden airport in weeks

Aden airport is expected to reopen in coming weeks after months of instability forced authorities to limit its services.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

29 February, 2016

Clashes between rebels and government forces in recent months damaged the airport [Getty]

Aden's airport is set to fully reopen in a few weeks' time after months of violence and instability prompted authorities to sporadically close the facility.

Commercial flights are expected to touch down at the international airport following refurbishment and maintenance work, Yemen's information minister told Reuters.

Mohammad al-Qubati announced local fighters, coalition forces as well as government soldiers have been guarding the airport since July while also denying earlier reports suggesting UAE forces withdrew from their posts.

"We have done preliminary refurbishment work on the airport from outside, and now we are working on maintenance work inside the terminal," al-Qubati said.

"We expect the work to be completed within weeks and we hope that commercial flights would return then," he added.

Houthi rebels took control of the airport- once a Royal Air Force base- in March 2015 when they descended on the southern coastal city.

Clashes ensued for several months between government forces, local resistance groups and Saleh loyalists before the rebels were forced out in July 2015.

The Saudi-led coalition launched an aerial campaign targeting Houthi rebels in March last year. An estimated 6,000 people have been killed during the conflict that has been described as "the worst humanitarian crisis" by UN officials.