Report: Al-Rayyan International Airport.. Between the opening promises and the suffering of travelers

Mukalla (Al Wusta Online) Report: Special

Al-Rayyan International Airport, located in the Hadhramaut governorate, is considered the important air port on which the Hadhramaut governorate and neighboring regions depend in the process of air travel and travel to other governorates and abroad. Today, its doors are closed to travelers, especially patients who want to travel abroad for treatment.

The people of Hadhramaut and the citizens in general have endured great suffering due to the closure of the airport for nearly six years, bearing the trouble of traveling and traveling long distances and exorbitant costs to reach Seiyun Airport, which has become the only air port in the governorate to travel in light of travel trips from time to time.

Al-Rayyan Airport, which is a lifeline for travelers, remained closed throughout this period until today, without citizens knowing the reasons for the closure.

_ the reasons :

The first and main reason for the closure of Al-Rayyan International Airport in the early years is due to the terrorist elements’ control over the districts and regions of the Hadhramaut coast, which have vainly damaged the airport’s infrastructure, disrupted its equipment and looted its property.

Then came the war in Yemen, which caused
Increasing the suffering of citizens and residents in the country since 2015.

The operation to stop air traffic at Al-Rayyan International Airport in the city of Mukalla, located in the Hadhramaut governorate, eastern Yemen, caused travel trouble, especially for patients.

Hostile parties:

Hostile parties used a paper to obstruct the opening of Al-Rayyan Airport against the Emirati forces in Mukalla to offend the Emirates. The United Arab Emirates, which had the most prominent credit for liberating the coast of Hadhramaut and re-normalizing life for the coastal districts and supporting it in various fields.

Those who wanted to obstruct the opening of the airport tried to hold the Emirati brothers responsible and blame them, forgetting that the UAE had adopted the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation of Al-Rayyan Airport, and the establishment of modern departure and reception halls with international specifications, in addition to providing it with equipment for aviation and safety means.

_ What did the Civil Aviation Authority say?

Earlier, the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority issued a clarification regarding the suspension of Al-Rayyan International Airport and the non-activity of its activities, and the Civil Aviation Authority said that the reason was due to technical reasons that the government did not provide at the same time.

The clarification published by the authority at the time stated: We saw in some newspapers, news websites and social media sites promoting false news and false accusations against the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology and its leadership about the authority’s unwillingness to operate Al-Rayyan International Airport, ignoring the great efforts made by the authority and its cadres working at the airport in Rehabilitating him and making him ready to operate flights, which culminated in the authority issuing a circular on the airport’s readiness on 11/20/2019, after which the airport received commercial flights for Yemeni Airlines and a number of flights bringing the stranded in cooperation with the brothers in the countries of the Arab coalition.

The authority added: “The airport’s activity came to a halt in light of the presence of some important technical deficiencies, which come based on the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization and were submitted to the higher authorities of the state, as well as discussing with international organizations the possibility of providing them in order to restart the airport.”

She referred to the previously published circular directed to airlines operating in the Republic of Yemen regarding the reactivation of some airlines aimed at notifying companies that some shipping airlines that were closed years ago due to the war have been opened, which would reduce distances traveled and fuel consumption.

_ Statements of the local authority in the governorate:

In previous statements to the local authority in Hadhramaut governorate, made by the Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Command Council – the governor of the governorate – the commander of the second military region, Major General Faraj Salmeen al-Bahsani, during which he confirmed that the leadership of the local authority is constantly following up with the legitimate government and the leadership of the Arab coalition, the resumption of air navigation in Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla.

In the same context, Al-Bahsani touched on the requirements set by the Civil Aviation Authority, which included the provision of civil defense means. Al-Bahsani denied some malicious gossip and rumors, which indicate that the UAE and the legitimate government have a goal in stopping flights through Al-Rayyan International Airport, pointing out He indicated that the leadership of the sisterly Emirates is keen to open the airport, but the only obstacle currently is the lack of civil defense means, stressing that the leadership of the local authority in the governorate will not delay in resuming the navigational activity at Al-Rayyan Airport while the means of civil defense are provided.

These statements provoked the ridicule of many citizens, especially the people of the province, wondering strongly about the real and realistic reasons for which the airport was closed, because the justifications of the authority in the province did not understand them.

Previously opened:

At the time when Al-Rayyan International Airport was opened, a beginning to alleviate the suffering through the beginning of signs of reactivation of the airport, which received the first plane coming from the Arab Republic of Egypt, amid popular optimism among Hadramis for the continuation of the air navigation activity of Al-Rayyan International Airport, and the inauguration of flights came through it, In order to alleviate the burden and suffering of the citizens, and reduce the fatigue and material costs that they incur through Seiyun Airport in the valley.

At that time, the head of the General Authority for Aviation and Meteorology in Aden, Saleh Salim bin Nahid, announced the reactivation of the air navigation line between Al-Rayyan Airport in Mukalla and Aden International Airport for domestic flights only.

And a memorandum issued by Bin Nahid to the airlines operating in Yemen stated that the navigation line was activated for domestic flights only, without specifying the date of the start of the arrival of the first flights to and from Mukalla Airport, towards or from Aden only.

After the citizens breathed and flights began to depart from Al-Rayyan Airport, suddenly the air activity stopped again and the citizens were asked other questions about stopping without knowing any justifications from the relevant authorities.

Voices rose and all the people of the governorate questioned the main reason for closing Al-Rayyan International Airport after resuming its operation in November of last year 2019 AD and returning it again despite an absence of more than 5 years after terrorist elements took control of the city of Mukalla and its suburbs on April 24, 2015. Here, many citizens of Hadhramaut, the coast, inside and outside, lost hope, as they saw the opening of Al-Rayyan Airport as a return to relative security and stability to the governorate, and to alleviate the suffering of many people who need to travel abroad and are forced, after its closure, to endure long travel distances to reach Seiyun Airport or Aden Airport.

To this day, Al-Rayyan Airport is still closed, and popular questions have become the talk of the street and social media about the reasons for the closure, but they are optimistic about the good after the operation of Sanaa Airport, which came within the results of the armistice between government forces and Houthi militias.