Aden (South24 Center)

The Yemeni Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority condemned, on Sunday evening (Feb 1), the Houthi group for preventing a Yemenia Airways plane from landing at Mocha International Airport. Official authorities described the move as a "dangerous escalation aimed at disrupting air navigation and citizens' travel."

The official statement noted that the Houthi obstruction coincided with the inauguration of the first official flights to and from the airport, signaling a "direct targeting of efforts to operate government airports."

On the same evening, "FlightRadar24" tracked a sudden turnaround of a Yemenia flight en route from Jeddah to Mocha Airport in Taiz governorate.

According to the specialized site, the plane stopped at the Yemeni Saudi border without completing its path.

Navigation data showed that flight IYE529, operated by Yemenia Airways (Airbus A320-232, registration 70-AFG), exited Yemeni airspace and returned toward Jeddah without landing.

Two press sources suggested, prior to the statement, that the plane likely did not receive landing clearance from the Houthis, leading to its diversion and the cancellation of its entry into Yemeni skies.

#BREAKING

FlightRadar records a sudden turnaround and return of a Yemenia Airways flight heading from Jeddah to Mocha Airport; the plane stopped over the Saudi-Yemeni border before heading back toward Jeddah#south24 pic.twitter.com/7hA7vYSBPL

— South24 | English (@South24E) February 1, 2026

Mocha International Airport had officially inaugurated its flights on Thursday morning, welcoming passengers after completing operational preparations.

On January 31, the Ministry of Transport announced the readiness of airports in "liberated governorates" to receive domestic and international flights, urging airlines to operate routes to airports under government control.

Earlier, on January 29, Aden Governor Abdulrahman Sheikh inaugurated the third phase of the Aden International Airport rehabilitation project, supported by Saudi Arabia.

This followed an announcement from Riyadh by the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, Saleh bin Nahid, regarding the start of a $12 million runway restoration project.